Soul Bound
by loveryou187
Summary: Edward comes back for Bella just like in New Moon (kinda there is a twist), However were not following the actual story line. Full Description inside! All Canon. Rated M, For lemons later on
1. Disclaimer

Soul Bound

I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry you're blue, I'm sorry about all things I said to youAnd I know I can't take it backI love how you kiss, I love all your sounds, and baby the way you make my world go roundAnd I just wanted to say I'm sorry

(Sorry: By Buck Cherry)

A/N: This is a during New Moon Story. We will start off with Edward when he lost Victoria in Brazil and take it from there. This WILL NOT follow the time line of the stories! There will be NO Renesmee! Jacob and the wolves MIGHT star in the background! I am not sure how I will involve the Volturi, But they will play in here as well. I will bounce from Edward to Bella

Disclaimer: As usual I will NOT open every chapter with a disclaimer its annoying!

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and the characters I am simply playing!

I do not know where this story is going so let you and I be surprised together!

If you feel like giving me a review please do so, I am happy to know your thoughts and suggestions, Anything to help make the story better!

Lastly the rating is M for Lemons, and I mean Hot Dirty Lemons! If you are uncomfortable reading I will give a warning for you to stop reading before hand. I will also make sure to mark where it is safe to pick back up… However if you do not have a problem with dirty lemons then please keep going! Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 1

_Can't sleep can't eat (no) __  
__I can't erase the pain (no)__  
__'cause I still feel your heart beat (yupp) __  
__A million miles away (I can't) __  
__I can't think, can't sleep (no) __  
__I can't erase the pain (no) __  
__Cause I still feel your heart beat (yupp) __  
__A million miles away__  
__I can't think, can't sleep, can't eat__  
__Can't erase the pain (no)__  
__'cause I still feel your heart beat__  
__A million miles away_

Black Roses: By Trey Songz

Chapter One

Edward POV

As I sit here reflecting on the things I lost, trying to imagine the things that could be but should not, the black acid that has been seeping into my pores comes back full force. Brought down to the floor of this dirty dank attic in Rio, my misery consumes me. I had lost Victoria's trail a while ago; I could no longer keep hunting her. I am weak. I _hate_ myself. I know my family cannot stand to be around me—especially Jasper. I knew he could feel the blackness sinking into me, deeper and deeper as time went by. He told me before I left that it felt like he was being sucked into a black hole. I knew the blackness was washing over him and he was ready to explode. So I left to spare my family the pain.

_Agony._ The Sweet, blessed agony. I have lain on this dirty floor for I don't even know how long now. I am starting to feel the weight of the dust settling over my still body. I can feel and sense the rats and other creatures scurrying in the room about me. I am definitely aware of the severe pain associated with ripping yourself away from your mate. But as much as she calls to me, I have to resist. I must. I made her a promise!

She's never left my mind as I lay here. I wanted her to move on, to live a human life—it's what she deserves. I, on the other hand, deserve the misery that has engulfed me. My phone stopped ringing a while ago as the battery died, and I have not yet had the inkling to find a power source to charge it. It matters not; my family does not need to see me like this. I am sure they are worried about me since I have not called them in a while now.

Lost in my own memories making sure I am stuck in my own personal hell, I hear them once it is too late for me to react. Their thoughts should have alarmed me for what was coming, but I am lost in my memories.

"_Jasper, what does it feel like in there?_"

"_Misery! A sucking black hole, Emmett. I don't know if I can go in there with you, man!_"

"_We have to go in there and drag him out; we promised EVERYONE that we__'d__bring him home_."

They are coming up the stairs now, but still I cannot force myself to move from this spot. Maybe they will be so disgusted with what I have become they will leave me here to rot in my hell. I don't think they realize that they are going to have to carry me out of here—I have not fed in a very long time…I don't even know if I can move. I have never gone this long without feeding—not that I want to go. I don't deserve them. ANY of them! Lying here for so long, seeing nothing or seeing through everything; I do not realize that I am facing the open doorway. When they come to the opening they see me in all my despondent agony, everything laid bare for them to see.

I watch them falter in the doorway. I do not even have it in me to look through their eyes to see what I look like. I do not care.

"Sweet _Jesus_ Edward! What's_ happened_ to you?"

I do not move, I do not even breathe. I don't think I have respired in a long time, now that I think about it.

I notice as Emmett inches closer to me, and I let out a small growl in warning. I do not want him to come over to me. Of course, that does not stop him. He is never afraid of a challenge.

"Edward, we are taking you home!"

I growl again, a bit louder this time. I try to listen to their thoughts, but both their minds are perfectly blank. Jasper is still in the doorway watching Emmett slowly approach me. I know what he is doing: waiting for the right moment to assault me with a calming force. And because I am focused on trying to see through them and go back to my misery, I do not notice Emmett sink to his knees right in front of my face. Once his eyes met mine and he calmly whispers to me that I have to get up and get in the car with them, I snap. I roar so loud it shakes the entire abandoned house I am in, but I never move a muscle. Emmett smiles at me while his thoughts assault me.

"_Edward, I see you. This is __beyond __disgusting! I __can't __and __won't __sit here and watch this. I __can't __sit home and watch the torment of our family any longer! We miss you and we need you to come home with us. We __will __take you by force."_ He reaches his hand out slowly, afraid I am going to bite his fingers off, but I do not have the fight in me. I let him place his hand on my arm, and then Jasper finally approaches, probably sensing the fight drain from me. I cannot care less. If they want to be around me at home, then I will go—but they will quickly see that I will be the same as I am now: never moving, never seeing. I do not even know where they are living now…or are they still in New York?

They pick me up and carry me down to the car; I am numb so I never force myself out of my fetal position. Once they get me in the car they sit there and deliberate what the best course of action would be to get me home. Finally, after some time, Jasper resolves to call Alice. I do not have the mind to pay attention. I remain lying down in the backseat of the black Jaguar they brought with them. I assume they are going to try and get me on a plane, but they keep driving, and I vaguely notice the light changing outside the car. But then time escapes me once again as I slip back into the memories of my sweet Bella, and I let the black acidic pain wash over me. My eyes shift to Jasper when he lets out a growl, and it shakes the moving car with the force of an earthquake.

Emmett slams on the brakes and jerks to a stop. Jasper turns to me and places his hand on my leg, sending me an overwhelming shock of calm to try and lessen my pain, but it barely touches me. After a few minutes he sighs and turns around, nodding to Emmett. Straight after, Emmett takes off like a rocket, driving faster than we were before. They begin to talk, and I am still thoroughly uninterested in their conversation. I honestly have no idea what the plan of getting me home is, and as I already decided, I do not care.

Eventually the car slows again and I listen in a small amount as Emmett talks with border control to let us back into the states. As soon as we are able to pass through, Emmett pulls over and Jasper is on the phone again, probably with Alice, discussing the fastest way to get from Texas to New York. I lose interest soon after.

I am grateful they have not tried to talk to me—I have nothing to say. They ripped me from my black hole of misery; what was I supposed to tell them? I finally close my eyes and let the ocean of memories sweep me away. Bliss that is the feeling of remembering everything about her sweeps through me. Finally the car slows, and without opening my eyes or without fighting, I let Emmett lift me out of the car and take me into the house. I register water running and being placed in it while someone washes me. I should feel ashamed for one of my family members bathing me, but I can care less, I am numb. Whoever it is keeps their mind blank. The only one with that kind of control would be Carlisle.

~~~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~~~

I have been sitting on the couch in the living room front and centre for two weeks now. Never moving, never talking, and just staring off into nothing. I was in my room for four days before someone would attempt to approach my door to talk, but I just kept a steady rumbling growl in my chest until they left me alone. Rosalie tried her own way of calling me all sorts of colorful names, out loud and in her head, trying to coax me out of my room. Alice tried showing me visions of the wide array of animals to be hunted on this side of the U.S. Esme tried not once, but twice, and I just moaned at her—the first sound I have uttered in over three months. I was still wearing the same clothes I was put in the day I was brought home. I was also placed on a bed in my room. Alice would sneak a peek in my room once a day, but never come in because I would hiss at her. She could no longer see me because my only decision was to lay there curled into a tight ball, letting my despair overtake me. Every now and then I would hear snippets of conversation outside my door. They would always try to figure out a way to get me to go out and hunt, or at the very least come out of my room. But without Alice's visions to guide them, they were scared that I would snap.

Esme had finally had enough when she opened my door and I turned my eyes to her for the first time in two weeks. She cringed at the sight of me, but bravely spoke: "Edward." She paused, perhaps making sure I was listening. And then she spoke again: "Edward, I know you're hurting, son, but I need you to come out and be a part of this family. This has gone on long enough, and you need to snap out of this. You are affecting more than just yourself." I let out a low hiss at her words. _How dare she!_ "Edward…You made your bed and now you have to lie in it. Accept the fact that you left your mate and get on with your life!"

I had not been able to help it; she had no idea of the pain I was in. I let out a loud, feral howl that shook the windows. Everyone came running, but she was not having any of it. She took one step in my room while everyone tried to reach for her, but she held up her hand as she took another step toward me, and I hissed again. Still, she came closer, all the while telling everyone to stand back. I actually paid enough attention to register their fear for her, but I was not leaving my room!

When Esme was two feet from my bed and she was reaching towards me, I moved my hand to give her a half-hearted swipe because my arm did not want to function. Then, as my hand fell back to the bed, she crouched down and let out a deafening screech of her own, shattering every window in my room as she lunged at me.

So now here I sit in the living room, just staring into space while everyone skirts around me, trying to live their lives. Everyone is in the same routine of going to high school, Carlisle working at the local hospital, and Esme staying at home working on blue prints or in the garden. She always tries to engage me into doing something, or trying to talk to her, but I lifelessly sit here and shut her and everyone else out. I do not want to talk; I just want to curl into myself and unleash the despair, feel my insides shatter to a million pieces. I cannot even breathe it hurts to much. Once, I tried to breathe my surroundings in, but all it did was make the hole where my heart was grow larger. So I gave up.

I hear Carlisle's thoughts before he even turns into the drive way and it makes me shudder on the inside. "…_I__wonder if he would allow me to insert a feeding tube and force some blood into him. I can tell he has not fed in__a__long__time__. He is losing strength,__and__he looks horrible! I can't stand to see him suffer so__…"_an image of my face floats in his mind, and I do look horrid. My eyes are so black and flat they look like the black hole I feel swirling inside of me. But what is the most shocking, however, is the deep purple beneath my eyes, which is almost as dark as my irises. My skin is so very pale, almost ashen. However, I cannot seem to care about it, as I cannot care about anything anymore. They brought me down here in the living room to be 'part of the family', so now they can either withstand looking at me, or they can banish me back to my room. All I want is to be alone and ride the waves of despair.

When Alice and Jasper come in from school she stops in front of me, with such a sad and pitiful look in her eyes as she slowly shakes her head. "_I can't take this anymore, Edward! If you don't snap out of this soon, Jasper and I will be forced to leave the family. He cannot take the emotions from you alone! __Don't you __care?__"__At her thoughts,_ I lower my head in shame. They are going to leave and I cannot stop them, or stop myself from feeling like this. After a few minutes, Alice finally gives up and walks away, taking Jasper's hand and telling him they need to go hunt. Then they leave without a backwards glance.

Carlisle takes that moment to walk up to me, then, and stand there for a few seconds, getting ready to say what he was thinking on his way up the driveway. I know he does not really want to say it, but he speaks it aloud so I get the full effect. "Edward, if you do not go and hunt soon I will be required to force you to feed. I cannot stand to see you this way, and as your father and your friend, it hurts me and everyone else to see you the way you are. Not looking at anyone, not talking. It saddens me, and it hurts me deeply." He waits just a few moments, and when I do not look at him or respond in any way, he sighs and moves off.

Alice and Jasper, and Rosalie and Emmett all enter the house together. They gather around me and call out to Carlisle and Esme. When everyone arrives, Alice announces that Jasper needs a break from the soul-sucking misery I am in, and that they are leaving. They say they should be back within a week, and I think they are hoping that I will calm down some by then, making it a bit better for them. Esme begins quietly sobbing for me, for Alice and Jasper leaving, and for missing the one who should be here but is not because of me and my 'stupid mistake'. I know this hurt her deeply; everyone with the exception of Rosalie looked at her as a sister and a daughter. I know I hurt them deeply. I know deep down they want to help me, but there is NOTHING that can help me now…I have to live with this pain.

"_One week, Edward! I will be back in one week, and things WILL change!"__and_ that is the last word I hear from Alice as she and Jasper speed out the door.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

I would like to thank Shakaka, for being my Beta and doing a wonderful Job!

Chapter 2 will be up as soon as I get it back. I am also currently working on chapter 5 while also working on my project for Camp NaNoWriMo. I am gonna need some luck to pull off my 50,000 word goal. This story is stuck in my head, so I am having a hard time writing for Camp.

On another note thank you all for understanding my need to delete this story and start over. I hope you enjoy the revised version.


	3. Chapter 2

_Tonight, my head is spinning  
I need something to pick me up  
I've tried but nothing is working  
I won't stop  
I won't say I've had enough  
Tonight, I start the fire  
Tonight, I break away_

Break: By Three Days Grace

~~~~O~~~~

Alice POV:

"I can't _take it_ anymore, Jasper! You are _constantly_ on edge and miserable/depressed, and it's not right!" It is the same thing I have been saying to him for days now: there is too much sadness in our home. Edward should have never left Bella. I was so angry with him for so long for taking ALL of us away from her. She is my best friend, and most importantly, my sister! I want to wring his damned neck. It has been worse ever since Esme went in there and tore him out of his bed. I never saw it coming; however, I must say, I have a new respect for her. Never, and I mean _never,_ has there been a time when Esme was nothing but loving and caring. But when she let out that screech and lunged at Edward, she looked nothing like the mother I have known for the past few years. She looked like a wild animal throwing him into the wall. Edward never even defended himself. I know he is hurting and all, but something has to change. He won't eat, he won't even _move!_

As we pull up in front of our school in Jasper's Jaguar, right next to Rosalie's brand new BMW 3 convertible, I think of looking for Bella. I want to know how she is doing—_NO!_ I need to see her. I let my mind wander to her, and I am certainly glad Edward is not with us here. He would wring _MY_ neck for looking for her…Once I think about it, it is easy enough. There she is sitting in class, however, it looks wrong.

I see her blank stare as she is listening to her teacher, and when she turns to look at someone, I gasp out loud at seeing the hauntingly empty smile she has on her face. There is nothing in her features. She looks like a ghost; she looks like Edward, just with human qualities…

My vision then morphs to her in the lunch room, and I want to cry as I watch her walk to a table and sit down. She sets her try in front of her and just sits there: she does not eat, she never even engages in speaking to anyone…It's as if she is running on auto pilot—but the worst part is how thin she is. It is sickening the way I can see every bone in her body…

Suddenly, Jasper grabs me then and shakes me, panic in his tone as he begs me to come out of my vision. "Jasper, we have to leave. I cannot stay here and do nothing. They both need help!" I know what I need to do, but I cannot tell Jasper until we leave, and we _will_ leave this afternoon after a quick hunt…As I think out my plan it plays out for me. I know this is the right thing to do, no matter what; I am going to go to Bella. I look at Jasper and tell him we are leaving after a hunt, I convince him he needs a break from Edward and his horrid feelings, and Jasper quickly agrees. I say nothing more while I grab my cell phone and quickly make the arrangements for a nonstop flight to Seattle. I also rent us a car and a hotel reservation.

As we get out of the car I see Rose and Emmett watching us. They know something is going on. As I look right at them, I tell them that Jasper and I are leaving for a week, starting this afternoon. They look a little shocked, but they do not ask any questions. They understand Jasper's pain, because they feel it too, in their own way.

Sitting through classes is near impossible; I am constantly on edge and bouncing in anticipation. My visions get clearer and clearer as the day passes by, and I know this is the right thing to do; everyone will be pleased with me. No one will be angry, either.

By lunch we are sitting at our table and I see Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper's questions bubbling to the surface, to the point I have to tell them my lie. I square my shoulders and look right at all of them, and then I tell them, "NO I do not know where we are going, yet I know we just need to leave for a week. That is all the information I have right at this moment." I then look at Jasper and tell him we are leaving right after lunch. I cannot sit here any longer, I need to plan! As the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch, Jasper and I quickly make our way to the car and pull away from the school.

"Where to, darlin'?" I look at him and tell him I need to think and plan, so we will go and hunt first, then come home the same time as Rose and Emmett, and after that, we will leave. I wish I can tell him the plan right now, but it must wait until after we make the announcement to the whole family.

As we approach the house I wipe my mind clean, knowing how to do this without giving away that I am, in fact, hiding something. Edward is so despondent that I don't think he is paying any attention to us anyway, but I do not need him to catch anything of what is about to unfold in the next week. So I keep the brick wall up and enter the house. As I look around I see Edward in the exact same spot as he has been for the past two weeks. He looks awful, and I can tell he needs to hunt badly. He is as haunting as the vision I saw before—I cannot think of it, he would surely lash out at me. I stop before him, willing him to look at me, but he never even moves, so I shake my head sadly and speak to him quickly in my head. I know he will hear me. "_I can't take this anymore, Edward! If you don't snap out of this soon Jasper and I will be forced to leave this family. He cannot take the emotions from you alone!"_ I watch as he lowers his head at my words but does nothing else, so I grab Jasper's hand and lead him out of the house while calling out that we are going hunting.

We make the hunting quick, and we do not go far. I snag two deer while Jasper feeds off four. I know he is going to need it; he is going to be very nervous once he finds out where we are going. On our way back to the house Jasper asks me if I am sure that I want to leave, and I simply tell him that it is for the best that we do this. Always a believer in my visions, he never questions me when I tell him that I am one hundred per cent sure that it is right. With all my careful planning and a completely solid vision that this all will work out I have no doubts.

We reach the house just as Rose pulls the car into the garage, and I quickly walk over to them so we can enter the house at the same time. I tell them to stand near Edward so I can make an announcement to the whole family. Of course, they know already we are leaving, and they know we will be quick with it…As we stood there in front of Edward and I call out to Carlisle and Esme, I wait for three seconds while they come down from their room. Then, I quickly speak to all of them, telling them that Jasper needs a break from the soul-sucking misery Edward is in and that we are leaving and we should be back within a week. Rose and Emmett leave for their room as I watch Esme sob quietly; I quickly assure her we _will_ be back within the week, and not to worry. But on our way out the door I silently call to Edward, telling him, "_One week, Edward! I will be back in one week, and things WILL change!"_ I make it sound like a threat, though, because I do not want him picking up on my happiness.

We quietly drive Jasper's car to the airport and leave it there. I know we're going to need it for when we come back, and I do not want any of the family there to greet us. This is the way it has to be at this moment. It cannot seem like everyone is in on the planning.

After we are on the plane, however, Jasper turns to me and says, "You better tell me why we are on a plane to Seattle. What is going on Alice? You have been acting cryptic and off-balance all day." Sighing into his side, I begin to tell him my tale. Not only is he shocked that I had gone against Edward, but that I have kept it from him. My reason? I do not want to teach my family the best trick for keeping him out, they need to learn to do it on their own.

After some careful explaining, Jasper finally agrees with me that this is the best course of action for everyone involved. As we touch down in Seattle and go to pick up our rental car, I tell Jasper that I have made simple hotel reservations in Port Angeles. I know we will not be staying long, and there really is no need for a luxury suite. But as we sit in the hotel that night, I can't help myself, I am bouncing everywhere because I know what is going to happen and I am very excited. I miss my sister and best friend so, so _very _much.

We have to wait until ten that morning before heading out—I need to make sure she is settled in at lunch before I go to the school. It would be the best time for her to be called to the office. I am just about whirring with excitement. I think Jasper is going to have to hold me down…I do really just want to get out of the car and run the rest of the way. It would be so much faster! We pull up to the small Forks school at exactly eleven o'clock. There are no students standing out in the rain, so I can get inside unseen before I am spotted and someone tells Bella that there is a Cullen at the school! I quickly walk to the office and step inside. Upon my entering, Ms. Cope looks up at me and stares with utter shock on her face. "_Alice Cullen?_ What are you doing here?" Then she gasps. "I am _so_ sorry, my dear! Where's my manners? What can I help you with?"

I look at her and say, "Can you please tell me if Bella Swan is here today?"

Ms. Cope quickly looks at her computer and nods. "Yes, she is here today. She should be in the lunch hall…Would you like a visitor pass to go see her?"

Quickly, I say, "No, no, she does not know I am here. Is there any way you can call her down here and tell her she has someone waiting for her in the conference room?" Ms. Cope looks a little weary at that, so I tell her, "I have not seen her in a while, and I do not want to give her the shock of her life in a cafeteria full of others." She nods her head, telling me to go ahead and wait for Bella in the conference room while she calls down to have Bella Swan summoned to the conference room.

I wait in the chair farthest from the door with my back turned so she will not see me right away when she enters. I giggle to myself as I recall the look on her face from my vision when she sees me stand up and face her. This is going to be _epic!_ I wait five long minutes, and then I hear the familiar sound of her racing heart and her acquainted scent, which has me almost sobbing at this reunion, and I haven't even seen her yet! As she enters the room and closes the door, all she can get out is, "What the hell_…_?" and then I stand up from the chair and spin around. As I watch her empty eyes fill with tears and she whispers "_Alice_" the next thing I know coming is for her to fling herself at me and cry. And sure enough, right on cue, she does exactly that…I let her cry, then when she turns her head to look at me, she blinks a few times. "…Is it really you, Alice? Am I dreaming this?"

"No Bella, you're not dreaming. Today, I am really here, and I am on a mission. I need your help! Can you help me?" At my request she says yes so fast I think I am dreaming, even though I know that it is going to play out exactly like it is and I have never doubted Bella the way some have. I look at her with sad eyes, because I know she is going to have an anxiety attack in just a few minutes.

"What is it, Alice? What is wrong? I _will_ help you! Tell me what I need to do!"

Hesitating, I take in a big breath and look her square in the eye, no sugar coating. I know she would have been confused and upset if I tried to downplay it. "Bella, its Edward. He is not well and I know that the only thing that will help him right now is you. I need you to leave school and come to New York with me, right now!" I watch as she swallows hard, and then produces a steely gaze, eyes hardened.

Her voice is determined when she speaks. "Yes Alice, I will come with you, but you _will_ explain a few things to me on the way. Let me just get out of school for the rest of the day, then you can meet me at my house while I go to the police station and tell my dad I am going with you. Also, while you are waiting for me, you can go into my house and pack my things."

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

_I let it fall, my heart,  
And as it fell you rose to claim it  
It was dark, and I was over  
Until you kissed my lips and you saved me_

My hands, they're strong  
But my knees were far too weak,  
To stand in your arms  
Without falling to your feet

Set Fire to the Rain: By Adele

~~~~O~~~~

Bella POV:

While walking to the office to speak to Ms. Cope, I cannot help the panic that is starting to rise. What is wrong with Edward? Alice said that only I can help him…I wonder if he is going through the same thing I am, but then I remember every word he said to me that day in the woods. He does not love me; he does not want me, either.

Well, I said I would help, so I will. But then I will get right back on a plane and come home while I relive the horror of those first few months of nothingness. Let Edward take another piece of me and then come home and continue to run on auto pilot. But, realizing that just by seeing Alice it is a little easier to breathe, maybe this is a good thing, maybe Alice being here is a sign that my life will be where it should be once again. "_Get a grip, Bella! Don't be such a stupid fool now!"_ How easy it is to get my hopes up but still expect for everything to come crashing down again…

I am at the office now. Taking a deep breath, I ready myself to be the responsible adult I need to be. "Ms. Cope?" I wait for her to look up, but when she does she seems to cringe back. Hmm…I have not looked in the mirror for months, so I am sure my face must reflect my pain. "Yes Bella? What can I do for you?"

"I need to leave school, right now, and…I will be gone for a few days."

She looks at me then, with a frown on her face. "Bella, I cannot let you do that without your father's approval."

"Ms. Cope, I may need to remind you that I am now eighteen, in this state I am an adult and I can sign myself out of school if I need to. May I also point out that I only have two classes I need to attend every day because I have tested out of the others and I am quite bored sitting here all day with nothing to do."

At my argument she hesitates for a few moments, glancing at the phone then back at me. I arch an eyebrow at her as if daring her to call my father, and then I sigh. "You don't need to call my father; I will be stopping at the station and telling him myself. If you still feel the need to call him then please give me a half hour and then go ahead." Finally, she nods and hands me the paper for me to sign out. Alice meets me outside the office with a grin on her face. I scowl at her. "_What_ is so amusing, Alice?"

"Oh, nothing, I just did not know that you would stand your ground like that. I am actually shocked that you agreed to come with me so quickly! But, we don't have time for that right now. We need to catch a plane to be back in New York tonight! Hurry up and go speak to Charlie and I will be waiting at your house. I will have everything you need and waiting for you in the car. You just need to park your truck and jump in!"

I make my way over to my truck and head over to the station to have another faceoff with Charlie. I know already he is going to be very upset with me for this, but as I said before, I am basically an adult and there is nothing he can do about it! My nerves are steel today and I am not afraid as I pull up next to Charlie's cruiser. I do not hesitate just for a fraction of a second as I climb out of my truck, and my resolve comes just as quick. I do not want to hurt my father's feelings, but it is time he allows me to make my own decisions and accept them.

"Good afternoon Bella, how are you today? Your dad is in his office. I am sure he will be surprised to see you; I won't let him know you're here." I smile at Shelia and mutter under my breath that this 'surprise' might be my father's undoing. Inhaling steadily, I hear him on the phone when I approach his office, thankful he is not on the phone with the school—it is something about a traffic accident a few miles away.

Once he hangs up I open the door with a rare smile on my face. He startles and looks at me, then goes to stand. "Bella, what are you doing here? Is everything alright? Come sit down, please."

"Dad, everything is fine and I would rather stand. I…have to tell you something, and I think you might be upset about it." He gives me the famous cop glare then and tells me to tell him whatever it is that I need to tell him. "Dad, I signed myself out of school today and for the rest of the week as well. I am leaving for a few days." Sitting down quickly, he demands to know where I am going. "I am going to New York with Alice."

I see his eyes acquire a confused glaze to them, so I quickly continue, "You know Alice Cullen, my friend? She visited me at school today and said she needed help with something and that I needed to go to New York with her, so I am going with her." I watch as Charlie's face pales, and then turns red. He sucks in a deep breath and slams his fist on his desk—I knew it was coming. Then, he starts yelling at me that I am not allowed to leave; he even attempts to 'ground' me.

I feel my face heat up as I become angry, so I yell right back: "I am _eighteen_ now, dad! I can do _whatever_ I want and you _cannot_ stop me! According to the Law that you have promised to uphold and protect, I am a _legal adult_ and therefor there is _nothing _you can _do!_ If you try to stop me, I will _not_ come back _at all!"_

I leave the station after that, I do not even wait for his response; I drive my truck as fast I can down the highway to my house. There is Alice and Jasper standing on the other side of the street next to a sleek black car. I pull my truck up to the curb, grab my book bag and wallet, and jump out and run over to Alice. I pass Alice and flung myself into Jasper's arms. Before we left together I felt that I needed to reassure him that I was never angry with him for what _almost _happened on my birthday. It was not his fault. I don't think any of them realized that Jasper not only battled with his own thirst, but the thirst of everyone else as well. But I am not willing to speak of this now. Alice has a story to tell and I want to get it over with before we go to the airport, so I can reflect and make my own decisions on the way. I want to be prepared. Once in the car, I demand Alice to tell me the tale of why she is here. She crawls into the backseat with me and takes my hand, and then proceeds to tell me in a subdued tone of everything they went through the days following my birthday, then of the months that Edward was away and how Jasper and Emmett found him. She describes in perfect detail of Edward's condition when he was found and how he was for the following weeks and how he was the day she and Jasper left. Her words leave me shaking and the tears are flowing freely down my cheeks as I realize he is in worse pain than me. And then, I make the decision right then and there to help bring him back to life, but no other decision because I do not want to get my hopes up, or anyone else's.

I am back on auto pilot, thinking, trying not to land on any one decision. When I finally come out of my stupor I notice I am sitting in a comfy first class seat on an air plane that is already in the air. Alice looks over at me then and says, somewhat cheekily,"Welcome back to earth Bella, I can't believe you got out of the car and walked through the airport and onto the plane without even paying attention. You never even tripped—it was quite something to watch."

"Alice, where are we?"

"We just got in the air from Seattle and we will be landing in New York in five hours! Now hush, I need to call Carlisle and he cannot know you are with us. This is going to be a huge surprise for everyone!" She quickly picks up the in-flight phone and dials Carlisle who, I assume, is at the hospital. When he gets on the line she tells him Jasper and herself are on their way back and that everyone needs to be home by seven that night—she needs to talk to them. A smile lifts up her beautiful face as she tells him that she will see everyone soon and I am suddenly very nervous. I know of one person who will not be accepting of my return.

Jasper leans over his seat and says quietly, "There is no need to be nervous about anything, Bella. We won't allow anyone to hurt you."

"I am not worried about hurting Jasper; I am worried about Rosalie's response to me walking into your home again. I am also nervous that Edward will be angry and send me away. I…I don't know if I can handle his rejection again." At my words Alice lets out a trilling laugh and shakes her head at me. Then, she tries to assure me that everything will be fine, and I assure her that snap decisions are where her vision always falter.

As we land and exit the plane Alice runs off to get the car from the parking lot while Jasper speaks to me about how desolate Edward's state is and how he will be so delusional he won't even believe that I am really there. Apparently, it will take a lot of convincing for him that I am there and real and that he is not producing a vision of me…_I know that feeling,_ I think to myself. Then Jasper also tells me about Edward's appearance, he says that Edward has not fed in a very long time and he looks horrible, and even though it brings tears to my eyes, I know I need to be prepared for it. Just then, Alice pulls up in another sleek black car. It is beautiful, that's for sure. Alice ushers us into the car and then takes off like a bat out of hell—I forgot how fast they drove. I try to watch out the window to see where we are, but it is not working right…Alice finally tells me that they live in a small town called Wheelerville and their house is secluded in the woods of the vast Adirondack Park. I stop paying attention after that; the speed is actually making me dizzy.

After only five minutes in the car Alice turns off the road into a narrow driveway, the same as in Forks, and takes the turns in the drive at 90MPH. She then turns to me and whispers in my ear that she has a vision on how this is going to play out so I need to just follow her lead in it all and EVERYTHING will be just fine. I raise my eyebrow at her and she just tells me to _trust_ her. So we get out of the car and make our way to the door.

She opens the door slowly and only peeks her head in as she calls, "Everyone, we're home!" She waits a few moments before opening the door all the way and ushering me to walk in before her. Talk about the feeling of walking into the lion's den…Everyone is standing in front of the couch—well, everyone except Edward. From what Jasper told, he has been sitting on that couch, unmoving and uncaring, for a while now. So I think they are shielding him from me. But once my eyes settle on everyone, I first see Esme with a smile on her face and her hand on her heart—she, of course, looks ready to cry—then Carlisle with a wry smile on his lips. And how can I miss the huge grin on Emmett's face? I then settle my gaze on Rosalie: she stares at me with anger filling her eyes and her fists balled up at her sides. My smile falters then and I almost break into tears but then I see her lower her head and sigh as she unclenches her fists and looks back up at me. The look of true remorse on her face has me stunned and then she nods at me.

I mouth hello to everyone and paste my smile back on my face before slowly walking towards them. I freeze when they part to reveal Edward; the sight of him makes my stomach lurch. I want to be sick, but I compose myself quickly and walk over to him. He never looks up, but he seems to lock himself down tighter, as if trying really hard to keep whatever he is seeing or feeling in front of him to stay long enough. I chuckle to myself for doing the same exact thing this morning before I left for school. I can feel everyone's eyes on us as he inhales deeply then sighs. He whispers to himself, "_I knew if I stayed here long enough I would be able to smell her again, I can hear her heart beat_…" Slowly, I place my hand on his cheek and whisper his name. He closes his eyes and smiles, but never moves another muscle.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Thank you to my Beta Shakaka for another wonderful Job!

Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 3

_I created the Sound of Madness.  
Wrote the book on pain.  
Somehow I'm still here,  
to explain,  
that the darkest hour never comes in the night.  
You can sleep with a gun.  
When you gonna wake up...  
When you gonna wake up and fight..._

Sound of Madness By: Shinedown

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Edward POV:

I was so lost in my own mind that I never paid attention after Alice and Jasper left yesterday afternoon. I was aware of Emmett trying to coax me out to hunt, but I just couldn't be bothered. There was too much misery, not only from the loss of Bella, but also now that I had managed to chase away Alice and Jasper as well…I am so caught up with my memories that I never hear the car approaching the house. I have the most perfect image of Bella in my head, that when Alice sticks her head through the door and calls out for everyone, I am assaulted with the most wonderful scent and sound in my mind. I lose all sense of where I am. I am transported back to Forks and to my meadow, Bella curled in front of me. In a small part of my mind, I notice Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Rosalie sprint hurriedly into the room and stand next to the couch, facing the door. I hear all their gasps of surprise, and then I catch movement off to my side. But I am still locked in my vision.

Suddenly, the smell increases and the sound grows louder. I inhale as deep as I can, and then sigh. "_I knew if I stayed here long enough I would be able to smell her again, I can hear her heart beat_…" I don't know if I say it out loud or not, but I know I must be dreaming. I lock all of my muscles down in an attempt to make the fantasy last longer—I do not want to leave this moment, not yet. And then all of a sudden, my angel is there and I _swear_ I can feel her heat when she places her ghostly hand on my cheek. And she softly whispers my name. I close my eyes and smile; this is the best illusion I have had yet.

"Edward, please, open your eyes and look at me. I need to see you." I hear her voice, but I know I am only conjuring a vision of her. A few thoughts trickle into my head, but I start shaking it, trying to dispel them. I only want to concentrate on the sensation of her scent and the sound of her heartbeat for as long as I am able to keep it in my head. But then, my Angel starts sobbing, and I look down and frown, why is she so sad?

Right at that moment, six different voices assault my mind and wipe the vision of Bella from my reverie. "_Edward! Open your eyes and see what is in front of you! She is right here for you!"_ Esme's voice is the loudest, but I am still apprehensive—they could just be trying to get me to do something other than sitting here like I have been. But just then, a whisper of heat touches my lips, followed by the words: "I love you, Edward, _please_ open your eyes." And another kiss to the lips has my eyes open. I stare at her for a long time: she wears a wry look on her face, and she also looks like she is ready to cry. The longer I look at her, the more the tears well in her eyes. I do not know what to say to her, so I gently place my hands on her face and kiss her.

"_I don't know how much longer he's gonna last being near her like that. He needs to hunt, I don't know if he can even make it to the woods. Maybe we could get a few deer here, then he could go off…But how can we do that with Bella here?"_Jasper thinks, feeling my growing thirst now that I am coherent, and I am feeling it as well. At that same moment, Alice has a vision of Bella and herself at a grocery store.

Alice responds then, "Jasper, that's a great idea! I will take Bella to the store so we can get some better food, and Edward needs to hunt. He needs to do it now!" Panic shoots through me, then; I am not ready to let Bella go yet. But she looks at me with concern in her eyes.

"Edward, it's true, you need to hunt. I will be here when you get home, I promise. Please, do this for me?" Her pleading voice is enough to get me to go. I look over to Jasper.

"Jasper, your idea seems to be the best option. You and Emmett can do that while Bella is gone to the store, then we will head out deeper. Carlisle can help me to the back yard." They all nod, and I assume that this is something they have discussed before.

"_Edward you need to hunt as much as you can, you need your strength, and Bella needs our help as much as you do! Look at her."_ I don't know what I would do without my sister; I owe her so much right now. I don't think an eternity of gratitude would be enough, but I comply with her request and look at Bella, and Alice is right. She is too thin; I can see just about every bone in her body. Her cheeks are sunken in and she is unquestionably paler than usual. She also has deep, dark rings beneath her eyes, and if I could cry, I would. I know that this is my fault; this has been going on for months, I am sure, since I left her.

She is still kneeling on the floor as Alice comes over and takes her hand to lead her to the car. I do not notice that Jasper and Emmett have already left, and they will probably be back any time now. And as if on cue, Carlisle comes over and slips his arm around me to help me to the back yard. As we are walking out the door I catch Rosalie's thoughts from upstairs: "_You better not screw this up this time, Edward! I will rip you apart _myself_. I may not like her choices, but she will be my sister soon, and it _sickens _me to see her this way!"_

After feeding off the two deer that Emmett and Jasper brought, we go deeper into the forest. We come across a black bear—that, surprisingly, Emmett lets me catch—and two large elk. Jasper wants me to hunt more, but I know that I am already full and I do not want to overdo it. As we are running back to the house Emmett asks me what Bella being here means. I have to think about it for a minute, before answering and telling him that I am willing to go wherever she goes. I know right now I could never leave her again—but of course, I need to talk to her about it more. I hope she doesn't tell me to stay when she goes back to Forks, I don't want to be without her. I would not survive it, and I don't think she would either…We have a lot to talk about, that's for sure.

We are just at the edge of our property when I catch Alice entering a vision of Bella boarding a plane, before everything turns black. Suddenly, she hisses, and then she is shouting at me in her head after detecting my presence: "_Edward! I know you're close and I don't know what this means. Let me talk to her, please, before you think the worst. Please!"_ I am rooted to the spot. I do not want Bella to be uncomfortable talking to Alice with me there, so I also make Jasper and Emmett wait with me. I tell them to just listen to the house, and I watch through Alice's eyes as she walks over to Bella and sits down, almost in her lap. "Bella, I don't think you should get on that plane back to Forks. I don't know what's wrong, but I have a bad feeling."

Bella raises one eyebrow at her, and then smiles. "Alice, did I just disappear?"

"Yes Bella, you did. How did you know?"

Bella laughs, then, and pokes Alice in the chest. "I know that, Alice, because I am blocking you." Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie all freeze and stare at Bella. Jasper, Emmett and I wait with baited breath since Alice told me to wait outside. It is very difficult not to rush in the house to be closer."You see Alice, I made a decision, and I do not want _anyone_ to know about it. So, I locked it down, and because it will play an important part in my future, I locked it in my mind. Not even you will be able to see it. You see, I learned something about my mind after Edward left me." Carlisle takes it upon himself to walk over to her, then, and start asking questions. Bella holds up her hand. "Carlisle, it will be easier to show you all, but we will need the boys. Then I have a story to tell you all!"

Jasper takes off running, calling out to me silently. "_Edward, this seems very important. Come on; let's see what's going on!"_

As soon as we walk into the house Bella smiles at us. "As I am sure you guys heard, I want to show you all something, and I need help from the three of you. Will you help me?"

"Of course Bella, what do you need?" We all answer at the same time.

"Let's start with Jasper, then. Jasper, please make me cry." Jasper stands there, completely focused on Bella, shooting wave after wave of sadness at her, but nothing happens. She is still smiling.

"_Edward, something is not right…I am directing everything at her, and nothing is happening!"_

"Jasper, you can stop now. Now, can everyone follow me outside?" I chuckle at Jasper's confused thoughts, but also at his disbelieving expression. Once we are out in the field, Bella turns to Emmett with a smirk. "Emmett, I need you to go to the other end of the field. Once there please come back as fast and as hard as you can, directly at me. No matter what, do not stop."

I growl at Emmett. He would be crazy to listen to her; his thoughts prove that he is crazy. "_Edward let's trust her, it's obvious she knows what she's doing. Let's see what this is all about first."_ Everyone looks on with horror as they realize that he is going to do _exactly_ what she asked him. Everyone's thoughts are screaming to protect her, and when she notices everyone walking in to surround her, she quickly tells us to stop and stand back. So we do, as we anxiously watch Emmett back up and then barrel towards her, a little scared of hurting her but determined to help her show us whatever this is. Once he is five feet in front of her, he unexpectedly slams to a stop and falls backwards. "_What the hell was _that?_" _He is a little disgruntled; I guess I would be too if I was stopped dead without warning.

"Emmett, are you alright? I need you to come at me one more time." She whispers, and then adds, "Please forgive me for this." She has a frown on her face as Emmett runs to the other end of the field. And as he turns around to come back at her, her face shifts into a grimace. He comes barreling towards her, and once he is half way, Bella holds her hands up, takes a deep breath, and _pushes_ the air. Emmett is sent flying backward and landing in a heap fifty feet away.

His thoughts assault me shortly after. "_WOW! That was intense! I wonder if she would do it again?"_

"No, Emmett," I begin, "I think we need to let Bella explain what that was before we let you try anything." Everyone is looking at Bella now, stunned, but she turns and looks directly at me.

"Before I tell you all my story, there is one more thing I need to try. Edward, this is where I need your help." I see excitement dance in her eyes before she closes them, and after a few moments I hear her whisper: "_Edward, can you hear me? I can't keep this up for long; I have never tried this before, but please answer me."_ I would have thought she spoke out loud, but I am watching her and her lips never move.

S-she spoke in my _mind!_ "Oh Bella!" I gasp out, and then I feel this energy swirling through her before an image of the two of us in our meadow spans out in my thoughts. But then the image is gone just as quick, and Bella sinks to her knees.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Sitting back in the living room, I catch Carlisle getting ready to ask Bella a million questions, but she looks exhausted. "Carlisle, maybe we should give Bella a few moments of rest before we start with the questions." It seems whatever Bella is able to do is physically draining, and by looking at her more closely, I wonder when the last time it was she had a meal. I want to ask her, but then decide to hold my tongue. As surreal as this is, I am still uncertain of how she really feels about me. Does she even want me back? I would walk through the fires of hell for a hundred years if it would help to show my devotion toward her.

"…OK Carlisle, I will answer a few of your questions, but I won't be able to answer all of them without telling you the whole story. So to answer your first question, I learnt of the 'boxes' in my mind. That's how I am blocking Alice." She turns to me then, "Edward, I am going to talk about some things that are going to make you unhappy and probably very angry. However, please remember this is actually all in the past and there is nothing we can do about it but move on."

I am nervous about what she is going to talk about. It has to have something to do with when I left her. Everyone is sitting around her in the living room now, waiting for what she has to say. Rosalie still has a lot of anger to shoot my way, but she is predominantly curious—everyone wants to know how Bella seems to be blocking us. Taking in a deep breath, she begins her tale. "After Edward left me that day in the woods, I was in a comatose state. I stayed in my bed, I never spoke to anyone, I wouldn't eat and it hurt to breath. I am not sure how long I was like this, but eventually Charlie called my mom. When she showed up she tried talking to me, but I didn't really hear her. But once she started talking about me going to Jacksonville with her, and she began packing my clothes, I snapped right out of it. I couldn't leave. I was waiting for Edward. I yelled and screamed; I even ripped the suitcase from Renee and threw it at the wall. I told them I was not leaving and that there was nothing they could do about it. And Charlie told me that if I didn't get back into my regular life, he was putting me in the hospital."

I want to cry, everyone's thoughts are centered on Bella's pain.

"So, I went back to school, more or less as a zombie. None of my friends wanted to speak to me anymore, so I was always on my own." She looks around at all of us, and smiles sadly. "Please don't be sad for me, it's in the past. I don't want you guys to feel pity for me. In the past two days I have made my decisions and have moved beyond it all—we will talk about that later, though."

"_I have a good feeling about this, Edward, please be patient."_

_"Edward, she is not showing any signs of sadness. But she is resigned and happy."_

"I have been running my life on auto pilot: I eat when I need to, I was only speaking when asked a direct question, and because of the nightmares, I was barely sleeping. My grades at school are perfect, which is why on Monday when I return to Forks I will be taking my last two final exams and be an early high school graduate." I don't know if I want to be happy for her, or upset. She is returning to Forks, but she has not asked for anyone to accompany her. Does she want us to? "While I was in this zombie state my mind was always clouded with the things that Edward had said to me that day. I wanted to forget them, and one day as I was sitting in my room, staring at the cracks in the ceiling, I looked into my mind. I created these 'boxes', so to speak, and placed all of my bad memories in them, and then locked them up. Even though I know the memories are there, the pain I was in at the loss I suffered was never-ending…It has never gotten better, however, sitting here with you all, I can breathe for the first time; the weight that has been crushing me has lifted. With the decision I have made, which you will learn of soon, was my test on Alice, which has proved correct since she is still fighting to see my future. But it is in a box locked so tight that no one can get to it, and Alice, I promise once I unlock it you will see, but for now, I need to keep it to myself."

I cannot take the distance between us any longer, so I ask her if I can sit with her. She accepts me and to my surprise, takes my hand. "A couple of months ago Victoria came back to Forks." I tense and she holds my hand tighter. A couple of months ago was when I lost her trail in Brazil. Everyone else gasps. "She tried to come after me several times, but could never get close enough. She came one day while I was at my house; it was late at night and she was hissing at me from the tree outside my bedroom window. She said she was going to kill me for you killing James, 'a mate for a mate' she had said. I quickly retreated into my mind. My mental state was not very stable, and at that point I was ready for death. But while I was waiting for her, I noticed a bright shining light that seemed to ripple with my thoughts of wishing her to just do what she needed to, and just as she was getting ready to jump at me, I heard a voice telling me to push her away. As she came at me, I pushed with my mind and my hands, and she went sailing backwards, just like you saw what I did to Emmett. I didn't see her again for a few weeks after that, but then she came to me again when I finally found Edward's meadow. She was determined this time to get me, she thought she was going to scare me by running around, maybe trying to confuse me. She started taunting me, telling me I was nothing but a weak human—which I am, I know that. But the voice came back again, telling me to wrap her in a cage and crush her. So, I pictured the light encasing her and trapping her. She froze and let out a growl, so loud it shook the ground. She fought for a few moments as I tightened the light around her and squeezed. I watched in horror as I saw her skin start to crack, and with one final squeeze, she fell apart into dust. The wind took her. Now, she is dead."

Everyone is just staring at her, not even breathing. I am in disbelief; I have never heard of a vampire being crushed to death like that. So I ask Bella to show me. She quirks an eyebrow, so I quickly explain that I am having a hard time understanding. "Edward, I will show you, but please remember that this will drain me. Don't freak out if I pass out!" After a few moments she is there in my head. I watch as Victoria comes out of the tree, I watch as she speaks and then freezes when she is a few feet from Bella. Then, her skin begins to crack, and after a few more minutes, sure enough, it is as if she explodes into dust, and is no more.

I can't retain my actions as I grab Bella in a tight embrace and whisper to her how sorry I am that I was not there for her, and I tell her that I love her and I will do anything to gain her forgiveness. She once again quirks an eyebrow at me. "Anything, Edward? Are you prepared to keep that promise?"

I am, what would she want? Without really thinking, because I know I would give her anything if it meant she was content, I say, "Yes, I promise I will give you whatever you want. I only want you to be happy."

"Then turn me into a vampire, Edward. If it will allow us to be together as equals, then that is what I want. I have missed you and I need to be with you, just as much as you need to be with me." Her voice is so strong I know it is the right thing to do for her, but I still do not want to take her from her life. She must have seen the apprehension in my eyes, because she simply says, "I don't want it to be today; I still have things I need to do before it can happen. Just promise me you will think about it—however, don't keep me waiting; otherwise I _will_ seek out someone who will give me what I want…If you still need time, I will give you time, but what is the point of human experiences if when I am turned, I will lose them anyway? I belong in your world, Edward, and I know that you know this to be true." As Bella closes her eyes, Alice's mind is flooded with visions of Bella: in Forks finishing her finial classes, of her coming back here to us…

'S_o we won't be going to forks with her._'

The vision shifts as Carlisle injects her with a needle and I bite down on her neck. Then there is a vision of Bella waking as a newborn vampire, us getting married…The visions kept flooding my mind. It is so intense that Alice gasps.

"Alice, I see you got to see my future; you see it is a good thing for me to get back on that plane." Bella looks to me again and smiles. "I know you have seen it as well and yes I forgive you. I love you Edward, and I hope you grant me this. I also know that you know I have to go back, but I need you to stay here. You need to hunt; I need to take care of Charlie, and the best person to help me with that is Alice. So please, stay here and recover yourself, and we will be back within the week. I know there is still much that needs to be discussed, but we can talk about it when I come back. Please, do this for me."

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Thank you to my beta Shakaka for another wonderful Job!

A/N: As you may have noticed I am not big on Author Notes. I actually find them annoying, but if I do need to leave one it will always be on the bottom of the chapter. I don't like to give anything away so there for I will never leave teasers of what is to come. Like I said in the beginning I am not too sure where this story is actually heading. I have a vague idea of what is to come but nothing is set in stone. I am very impulsive while writing.

If you have any questions or concerns or simply wish to debate something in my story please do not hesitate to either leave a review or PM me. I am open to it all and will get back to you almost immediately!

Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 4

_I feel like there is no need for conversation  
Some questions are better left without a reason  
And I would rather reveal myself than my situation  
Now and then I consider my hesitation  
The more the light shines through me  
I pretend to close my eyes  
The more the dark consumes me  
I pretend I'm burning, burning bright_

Burning Bright

By: Shinedown

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Bella POV:

Sitting on the plane back to Seattle is a little awkward, to say the least, with Alice sitting on one side and Rosalie on the other. I'm not sure what prompted her to come along—maybe it's the argument we got into the day after I told everyone about Victoria…It is rather funny, looking back on it now.

I was in the kitchen cooking lunch. Alice, Jasper and Emmett had gone to school when Rosalie came in, slamming her fist down on the counter. I knew her anger had been simmering ever since I told Edward I would seek out someone who would turn me into a vampire if he would not. The statement had affected her—I expected it to, but I didn't want it to. I had watched as the anger rose in her, and then it just stewed for a little while, lying dormant. Carlisle had coaxed Edward to go on a quick hunting trip, and when Esme had offered to cook me something, I refused; I was quite capable of doing it myself. I knew they were happy to have me back, but I was so used to doing everything myself since just about everyone had avoided me for the past few months, so I didn't mind being alone.

However, as soon as she had appeared, Rosalie stood there tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for me to spin around. I was not quite ready to face her at that moment, though, so I finished what I was doing at the stove before turning. I sighed. "Rosalie, just spit it out. I see you are extremely angry with me—which, by the way, I am not surprised. You have always hated me."

She remained glaring at me for a few moments longer, and then let out a long huff of air. "Bella, I think you are making the wrong decision. You should stay human, live your life. You don't even _know_ what you are giving up! I cannot, in my right mind, accept you as a sister, or even a friend, if you are just going to throw away everything on a _whim_." She was practically hissing by the end, and her voice was incredibly harsh. She was being so condescending, that I was starting to become angry, so I defended myself.

"Rosalie, I suggest you listen to me, because I am only going to say this once, and I will not have this conversation with you again." My voice was hard and confident "The only thing I am giving up is my womanhood; I know I won't be able to have children and I, for one, am glad for that. I have never aspired to be a parent, and this will make it so that will never happen. I am sorry you are missing out on that part of your life, but that is not for me. If you want to be around babies, then go to college: get a medical degree and become an obstetrician-gynecologist, then you can be around children all you want. If you were not so vain and self-absorbed you would know that the things _you_ want are not the same things every other woman does." Her mouth was hanging wide open, shock marring her face, but I wasn't finished. "Do you also want to deny your brother his happiness? Did you or did you _not_ beg Carlisle to change Emmett? Are you not happy with your mate? I know Edward and I will be a lot happier once we are equal. Why deny us that?" I paused, waiting for some sort of reaction from her, but when I got none I decided I better continue, all this needs to come out now. "Your opinion is not the one that matters to me—in fact, no one's opinion matters now, this is my decision. I have come to terms with what I am doing, and I have come to terms with what the rest of you believe. "Did you think that I have not thought this through? Did you really think I was so carelessly throwing away my humanity? I have put _a lot_ of thought into this, Rosalie, and if this was not something I wanted, I would not have come here with Alice so willingly." My voice began to take on a ice cold tone as I continued, "Now, I suggest you get out of my face and think about all of this, and _then _make your decision. You can either hate me or accept me, but I will not fight with you about this again. I have said what I needed to say." As I finished she just stood there, defeated. I picked up my cold lunch and turned around to go to the table, and almost jumped out of my skin when I saw everyone crowded in the doorway. Had they listened silently the whole time?

I think that by Rosalie sitting next to me on this plane now is a sign that she is trying, at least, to accept me as a part of her family. She has not uttered one word to Alice or I, but she is not glaring my way, either. Yet maybe this is not her decision at all, maybe she was forced…Alice is very quiet as well—I don't know if she is waiting on a vision or not, but I am enjoying the silence. I told Alice before that while I am in school on Monday she can go to my house and pack my things. I gave her the list of items I most certainly want to bring with me, and she had free reign on the rest. I have just one night to talk to Charlie, as we will be getting back on a plane tomorrow evening. If I go to school in the morning and take my last two exams, I could have the results by lunch time. Then, I can meet with the principal to sign myself out as an early graduate, and then give them the Cullen address to send me my diploma. I also have to call my mom and tell her of my plans—I am sure she will be worried about me, and I have to reassure her that I will be perfectly fine.

I really think that leaving Forks behind will be fairly easy. I know I will miss Charlie, but I think I deserve another chance at happiness, and I know he would never deny me that. Although I know I am doing the right thing, I will miss my parents and it almost makes me feel guilty for leaving them behind. Maybe there will be a way to keep them in my life a little while longer. I will have to discuss this with everyone, when the time is right.

When we touch down in Seattle Rosalie goes to pick out a rental car and comes back mumbling something about them not having anything worth her time to drive. I find myself wondering why she didn't just get the car that Alice and Jasper drove when they came to get me—but even so, Rosalie's petty issues are no concern of mine right now. I have enough to do and concentrate on; I don't want to leave Charlie if he is angry.

As we are exiting the airport, the valet pulls up in a red convertible. I don't know why anyone would own one around here, it rains too much, but as Alice and Rosalie climb into the front, I get in the back.

All too soon, we are on the highway. As I am sitting there staring out the window watching the trees turn into a blur, I notice Alice nudge Rosalie and whisper something to her, and after a few minutes of a loaded silence, Rosalie sighs. "Bella, I was wrong for assuming that you were making a careless choice concerning your own life, and I…would really appreciate it if we could move on from that, maybe start over? I will accept you as part of our family, and hopefully someday, we can even be friends."

I am shocked; I did not think she was capable of showing remorse. Of course, I don't want any animosity within the family, so naturally, I accept her apology.

As we pull up in front of my house, I swallow hard. Charlie is already home, but I was hoping for some time to prepare him a nice dinner and then have a calm conversation. However, now that I know that is not going to happen, I tell Alice and Rosalie to stay close, just in case things escalate too much and I chose to leave Charlie tonight. They agree to stay out front until I tell them otherwise.

As I approach the house, Charlie comes out on the porch—he must of heard the car pull up. He looks at me, and then at the car. "Bella, you're home. We need to talk."

"I know dad, and it's going to be a rough conversation. You will probably be angry with me…Let's go inside and I will cook some dinner, then we'll talk."

"I went to the diner for dinner already, sorry Bells." I guess I am eating for one tonight.

"Alright, let me get some dinner then we will talk." I am really dreading this conversation—where did my nerves of steel go from the other day? Is it because I know this will be the last time I see my father? As I stand in the kitchen making my salad, I can feel the tears fighting for their way out, but I need to be brave. Charlie enters the room as I am washing my dishes.

"Bella, I know when you left the other day we were both pretty angry, and I am sorry. I just, I don't understand how you could run back to him after what he did to you."

…Oh no, this is _not_ going the way I planned. Stalling, I try to form an explanation—one without supernatural beings. "Dad, Edward has been as depressed as I have. We've had a long talk and all is forgiven. I know you think you don't understand, but if you had the chance to go back to mom, would you?"

He thinks about that for a long while, before whispering, "_Yes._" And that's what I thought.

"Then you see dad, you do understand how I was quick to forgive him. I love Edward more than my own life, and I am going to be with him…"

"Is he coming back to Forks, Bella?" Crap! Here comes the hard part…

"N-no dad, he is not coming here…I am moving to New York. I will, basically, be finishing my last two classes tomorrow and getting my diploma. Edward and Alice have talked me into going to college with them in New York, so as soon as Edward graduates we will be making plans for that."

For such a long time he just sits there, staring at me. Then, he surprises me: "…Bella, as long as you're happy, then I will not stop you from doing this. Just, please keep in touch. Just a phone call once a week will be fine with me. I will get off work early tomorrow so we can spend the afternoon together before you leave again."

The tears are falling freely now as I get up to hug my dad. I was expecting the worst, and am rewarded with the best. So I tell him that Alice will be stopping over during the day while I am at school, to pack a few of my things.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Charlie is already gone by the time I get up and ready for my final day in Forks. Surprisingly, Alice is waiting for me in the driveway, "I thought I would drive you to school and then come back here and collect your things. I left Rose to her own devices in Seattle today; I think she wanted to do some shopping. I know she misses it here. I will stay with you this afternoon with Charlie to help ease his worries and make the goodbyes easier." I am thankful for a sister and a friend like Alice, and I give her a hug, before her eyes turn blank. She zones out for a few moments, and then comes back after her vision, blurting, "Your tests will be easy: your teachers seem to have pity on you and you should be done in two hours. I will be quick at your house and then be at school to pick you up when you are done."

We pull into the school faster than I remember; as soon as I am out of the car Alice is pulling away. I notice we are a bit early, so I head to the office to ask Ms. Cope where I need to be to take my tests.

"Bella! I am glad you are here, I have your tests already and you can go right into the conference room. As soon as you are done with your Spanish final bring it to me and I will grade it while you work on your calculus." I take the Spanish test and head to the room.

Alice is right; it is very simple. Fifty questions, all multiple choice. I take my time and check it over twice before taking it back to the office. As I walk into the room to get my other test, Mike and Jessica are standing there. They actually seem surprised to see me, but I ignore them and hand my test to Ms. Cope. She takes it, looks it over, and then hands me my calculus exam. This one seems just as easy—twenty problems I have to solve. It does take me a little longer to make sure my work is right, but I finish within the hour and take it to the office.

Ms. Cope tells me to wait there while she grades the exams for me, and after twenty minutes she looks at me with a grin. "Congratulations Bella, you got a ninety five on your Spanish and a ninety on your calculus! Let me see if Mr. Greene is ready for you—I am sure you would like to get out of here as soon as possible."

I wait a few moments for Mr. Greene. He comes out, shakes my hand, tells me congratulations, and gives me a short inquiry about my future. I tell him I am planning on attending college in New York and that I am going to start applying as soon as possible. Afew minutes later, he leaves me in the office. I look to Ms. Cope and tell her the address where she can send my diploma and transcripts, and then I leave.

The afternoon spent with Charlie is very easy; Alice keeps him in good humor whenever there is a lull in our conversation. At one stage he exits the room briefly and brings me back a first edition of Wuthering Heights, and I immediately know the book is expensive. When I tell him to return it, that it is just too much, he simply tells me that he had to buy me something, and since I tore up my old copy a few months ago, he wants to buy me a special edition for graduating high school. Time after that day flies by in a blur: Charlie takes Alice and I to dinner, and afterwards we say our long goodbyes. I think I see a few tears escape from Charlie as I climb in the car with Alice, and I'm not surprised when I open the trunk to see only one small bag of my stuff inside. I know Alice is dying to replace my wardrobe.

I call Renee while we are heading to Seattle, and she is not as easy to convince as Charlie. But she does agree that as long as I am happy, she is too.

All too soon we are pulling up to the airport with Rosalie waiting for us at the entrance. As she takes the car to return it to the rental lot, Alice checks us in for our flight. As usual, she already has everything timed perfectly, and so we do not have to wait long before boarding our flight.

As I sit there thinking I come to my conclusion: I know I am happy to be going back to Edward, and I am more than ready in starting my new life with him and the rest of the Cullen's.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Thank you to my beta Shakaka. Another wonderful chapter.


	6. Chapter 5

_You made a mistake  
On the day that you met me and lost your way  
You saw all the signs  
But you let it go  
You closed your eyes  
I should've told you to leave  
Cause I knew all the time you couldn't handle me  
But you're hard to resist  
When you're on your knees begging me_

_I'm Not an Angel_

_By: Halestorm_

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Edward POV:

Carlisle finally coaxes me away from Bella long enough to go on a fast hunting trip. His thoughts are reassuring: _"Don't worry Edward, we will stay close to the house and only be gone for a few hours. Bella will be fine with Esme home."_

Yesterday when Bella had made her statement of becoming a vampire with or without my help, the whole family was in shock. Alice had let her visions from long ago wash over me, and then she switched to the newest revelations Bella had finally allowed her to see. She had always known this was Bella's destiny, but I fought it, and now I don't have a choice.

"_Edward, I hope you are putting serious thought into Bella's demand. I want nothing more than for you to be happy, and I know that Bella makes you happy. After watching what she can do as a human I have no doubts she will be a force to be reckoned with as a vampire. I would advise Eleazar to come down from Denali and get a feel on her. I am not sure, but I think she is a shield."_

I look to Carlisle and smile. "Carlisle, at this point I would deny Bella nothing. I know that we need to be together. I have put a lot of thought into changing her and I think it is for the best. I also think you are right about the shield – we will need to bring down Eleazar, but I know if he comes, the rest will as well."

Carlisle must have heard the hidden meaning behind my words, because he assures me. "Edward, they are family, and they will not try to harm Bella."

I laugh darkly at his comment and he raises an eyebrow. "This time, I for one am not worried about Bella's safety, I am worried for Tanya's life. When Bella showed me her mind, I watched the scene with Victoria play out. I watched as she crumbled to dust, and I worry that Tanya will try to provoke Bella and that she will react like any normal jealous woman." And I know if I try to explain this to Tanya, she will see it as a challenge.

Without answering, Carlisle becomes lost in his thoughts about adding Bella to the family, trying to figure out the best way to go about changing her. I do not mention to him that in Alice's vision he is injecting her with something – I am sure Bella has a plan. But even I do not know what that plan is exactly.

After a few moments I smell a pride of mountain lions a few miles away, but when Carlisle catches their scent he puts a restraining hand on my arm. "Edward, we cannot hunt the lions here, they are very rare. Let's turn around; I smell a large heard of deer a few miles back." With a silent sigh, I follow Carlisle and head back in the other direction to find the deer.

The hunting was easy, swift, and just as I am washing my hands in a nearby stream my phone issues one short chirp, letting me know I have a text message from Alice. I quickly look at it and a loud growl erupts from my chest as I read what is on the screen. _"Heading back home, Rosalie is confronting Bella! Esme went out to her garden, I don't know what will happen yet."_

Carlisle is at my side just a few seconds later. "Edward, what happened?" I look at him and I can tell by the reflection in Carlisle's eyes that I am seething.

I manage to hiss out, "_Rosalie_ is picking a fight with Bella – she stayed home from school today because she knew no one would be around to stop her! Apparently Esme is in her garden" We are running before I finish telling Carlisle, and it only takes a few minutes to get back.

As we approach the house Esme is in my mind: _"Come in quiet, Edward, I think they need to fight this out. I heard when it started and came right back inside"_ I am frozen at the door. I know if I go in there it might cause more problems, and I know I would attack Rosalie if she even _thought_ about harming Bella. But then Alice is in my head.

_"Edward, everything will be just fine. Rose is about to get put in her place by a human! This will be epic; Emmett is going to be pretty pissed off at Rose though..."_ She shows me the vision of everything working out alright and that is enough for me. I ghost silently into the room and stand near my family. They wait with baited breath for Bella to turn around and speak to an ever impatient Rose, whose anger is growing by the second.

Bella finally turns and places her plate on the counter, and when she speaks to Rose everyone notices the small amount of annoyance in her words. _"_Rosalie, just spit it out. I see you are extremely angry with me – which, by the way, I am not surprised. You have always hated me._"_

Rosalie's mind is a snarl, and when I go to take a step forward, Alice's firm grip stops me. "_Let them go Edward, Rose won't hurt Bella, I am sure of it."_

Rose glares at Bella for a few minutes, trying to tamper down her anger so she can speak without spitting her words. _"_Bella, I think you are making the wrong decision. You should stay human, live your life. You don't even _know_ what you are giving up! I cannot, in my right mind, accept you as a sister, or even a friend, if you are just going to throw everything away on a _whim_._"_

We all watch as Bella's eyes flash in anger and her mouth twists into a sneer. I am shocked that neither Rose nor Bella notice us as we gasp, but then Bella places her hands on the counter and leans towards Rose. _"_Rosalie, I suggest you listen to me, because I am only going to say this once, and I will not have this conversation with you again. The only thing I am giving up is my woman hood; I know I won't be able to have children and I, for one, am glad for that. I have never aspired to be a parent, and this will make it so that will never happen. I am sorry you are missing out on that part of your life, but that is not for me. If you want to be around babies, then go to college: get a medical degree and become an obstetrician-gynecologist, then you can be around children all you want. If you were not so vain and self-absorbed you would know that the things _you _want are not the same things every other woman does_."_

Rose is lost for words – even her mind is silent – and when she opens her mouth nothing comes out. Alice is silently laughing beside me, and Jasper does not even try to control the situation – I think he knew it was time for something like this to happen. Alice was right, Emmett is seething mad at Rosalie for even _trying_ to talk Bella out of joining our family and Carlisle and Esme are concerned only for Bella. Bella goes to grab her plate when anger once again fills her eyes and she sucks in a large breath. As if having seen something important or secretive, Alice's mind suddenly turns blank – as if blocking me out – and she clamps her mouth shut so tight she is fighting laughter. But my eyes are locked on Bella as I see the determination rise on her face. She is not done._ "_Do you also want to deny your brother his happiness? Did you or did you _not _beg Carlisle to change Emmett? Are you not happy with your mate? I know Edward and I will be a lot happier once we are equal. Why deny us that?_"_ She pauses for a few moments, as if waiting for something, but another bout of bravery in her emotions – that I read from Jasper – has her speaking again_"_Your opinion is not the one that matters to me – in fact, no one's opinion matters, this is my decision. I have come to terms with what I am doing, and I have come to terms with what the rest of you believe_. _Did you think that I have not thought this through? Did you really think I was so carelessly throwing away my humanity? I have put a lot of thought into this, Rosalie, and if this was not something I wanted, I would not have come here with Alice so willingly. Now, I suggest you get out of my face and think about all of this, and then make your decision. You can either hate me or accept me, but I will not fight with you about this again. I have said what I needed to say._"_

Everyone is standing there, still as stone and afraid of what Rose will do next. But to all of our surprise, she hangs her head and is defeated. We all know Bella is right, and even though the words are hurtful, they are true.

Bella waits a few moments before grabbing her plate, and when she turns around she jumps, surprised to see all of us standing there. But she quickly recovers and squares her shoulders, walking past all of us to the table and sitting down.

_"I think she __Bella__ is embarrassed, maybe we should give her some time to collect her thoughts."_ – Esme, always the caretaker.

_"I'll let Bella have a few moments before calling a meeting to let the family know I will be calling the Denalis down here."_

_"…I don't want to upset Bella by screaming at Rose, but I can't let this slide." _I stop listening to the thoughts as I watch Emmett stalk toward a frozen Rosalie. "What is _wrong_ with you, Rosalie?" he is hissing at her, and I know he does not want Bella to hear his anger. Rosalie also knows she is in a lot of trouble, because Emmett never calls her full name without discontent, so most of the time he calls her 'Rose' due to his constantly cheerful demeanor. However, right now, all cheeriness is gone.

"Don't you think I am entitled to my own opinion on this matter, Emmett? Adding a new member to this family affects _all_ of us!" I am angered, I can't _believe_ this is coming out of her mouth.

"No, it's not our business what Bella and Edward do. Yes, adding Bella to our family _will_ affect us all, but in a _good_ way. Why can't you _see_ that_?_"

If Rosalie does not cool her thoughts, she is going to say something she will regret for a very long time. "Can't you just be on _my_ side, Emmett? You know I am right!"

I hear Emmett release a low, irate growl deep in the back of his throat, his thoughts livid. We all know how much he cares about Bella. "No Rose, I will _not_ choose your side on this. You will apologize to Bella after you have – genuinely – thought about how _your_ actions are affecting everyone in this house! And you will keep away from her, meaning you will stay _upstairs_ in our room until you have decided to accept everything. And to appease _me_ and gain my forgiveness, you will go to Forks with Alice and help keep an eye on our little sister."

As Rosalie turns to go upstairs, Carlisle steps forward. "Wait. Before all of you leave, please join me in the dining room. We need a quick family meeting."

As we enter the dining room I notice Bella sitting at the table, her food untouched and her cheeks wet with tears. Esme enters right behind me and also notices. _"The poor dear, she must think we are angry with her. She has not touched her food, again."_She slowly walks over to Bella and places a hand on her shoulder. Bella stiffens at the touch and starts sniffling. "Bella, are you finished with your plate? We're going to have a quick family meeting." Bella nods her head and goes to pick up her plate, but Esme stops her and gently grabs it from her, taking it to the kitchen. I sit down next to Bella and take her hand in mine, silence settling between us. When she looks at me I flash my crooked smile – the one I know takes her breath away – and I watch as her eyes widen and a small smile creeps across her face. I quickly lean into her and place a small kiss upon her lips.

"_Breathe_ Bella; no one is mad at you. We are actually shocked someone finally had the guts to tell Rosalie off."

Everyone comes into the dining room, then, and take their seats. Bella is still leaning into me, and I see everyone's eyes light up when they see the smile on my face. I know it is time for me to get over some of my issues and learn to 'go with the flow', and when Bella finally looks away from me, she registers everyone is seating themselves at the table. But as Rosalie enters the dining room Bella stiffens, a look of concern on her face, and Alice is suddenly hit with a vision of Bella apologizing to everyone.

_"Don't let her Edward, it's for the best. Rose really needed to learn her lesson and she needs time to think things through and come to terms with everything."_

I reach out for Bella's hand just as she takes a breath to speak and look to the head of the table. "Carlisle, why don't we get this meeting over with, I would love to spend some time with Bella."

Carlisle clears his throat to gain everyone's attention. "As we witnessed, Bella has some very advanced supernatural ability. I do believe she is a shield, but I would like to bring down the Denalis so Eleazar can read her to see what this 'power' is. I have never come across a human who can stop, or let alone kill a vampire. I, for one, am intrigued as to how this gift will manifest once she is immortal." And everyone's thoughts are agreeing with Carlisle.

After everyone gives their consent to bring the Denalis down, Alice is off to book their flight back to Forks. Rose storms out to the garage to blow off some steam the best way she knows how – tuning up the cars – and I know Emmett is still pretty pissed with Rose, so he starts provoking Jasper into a wrestling match. Carlisle is on the phone with Eleazar explaining the situation with Bella and Esme is in the kitchen downloading cookbooks on her tablet as she is unsure on how much longer Bella is going to remain human. She is also thinking about the large plot of land she just bought in Montana – she has been drawing up blue prints on some new houses for a while now and wants to build them from scratch. I know she wants to discuss it with everyone about moving again, but she thinks it is still too soon. I agree with her on that but keep my mouth closed, it is not the right time to be discussing such.

I look over at Bella, who is smiling at something amusing, and I glance over to see Emmett dancing around Jasper, hissing profanities at him. It is so low Bella cannot possibly hope to hear what he is saying, but the sight is still pretty funny. Bella leans in to me and whispers, "_It seems Emmett is having a hard time getting a playmate. Should I help him by giving him a little shove?_"

I smirk at her. "I don't think we should encourage them, Esme will have a fit if they start fighting in the house." In turn, she frowns but nods.

Alice enters the dining room then with a huge smile on her face. _"I would _love_ to take her shopping but I know she won't go for it, maybe I can get her to pick some things out online, and then I can order her a whole bunch of other stuff!"_ Alice squares her shoulders, attaining the unmistakable gleam of _'_I mean business' in her eyes as she says, "Oh Bella, can you come help me with something on the computer?"

Confusion clouds Bella's eyes for a moment, and then she shrugs. "Sure Alice, but I don't know much about them so I don't know how much I can help…" Without another word Alice bounces over to Bella and takes her hand once she gets out of the chair, leading her out of the room.

I am unsure what to do, so I decide to sit here at the table until Bella is done 'helping' Alice. UpstairsI can hear Bella and Alice arguing about buying clothes online: "_Bella, if you don't let me do it this way I _will_ drag you down to New York City and _force_ you into a three day shopping spree!_"

I hear Bella release a long, agitated sigh – one of her ways of complaining, or consenting. "_Alright, Alice, I will pick out a few things, and then you can take over. Please, just…don't go super crazy, and only pick out things that I _will_ wear_." Alice's mind is in overdrive as she watches Bella pick out a few things, so she could get a read on the clothes she is planning to buy from all the major designers. I roll my eyes. It is going to turn into a fight when they get back and Bella sees all the clothes Alice is planning on buying for her.

I know Bella will be leaving just about everything behind – including her truck – since I have decided to change her when she tells me she is ready. I decided that since Alice was spending well over one hundred grand on a whole new wardrobe, I would outdo her and buy Bella a car – I have the perfect one in mind; I just have to wait until all the girls are out of the house before making the calls. Since I will have to order the car from France, I hope they are willing to do anything I want with the customizations.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Emmett and I are driving Alice, Rosalie and Bella to the airport; we also have to pick up the Denalis at the airport in Syracuse, New York. I don't know why Alice did not get their flight out of Syracuse as well; maybe she was worried about running into the Denalis. I know I am not looking forward to seeing Tanya; it is always the same with her, but hopefully Bella will put a stop to it once and for all after Tanya sees that Bella is my mate.

"I love you Edward, I will see you in a few days."

Part of my mind is still lingering on thoughts of trying to get Tanya to see reason, while the rest of my brain is focused on plastering Bella with a kiss that could possibly set the world on fire. "I love you too, Bella. Please be safe and come back to me as soon as possible."

Too soon, Alice is dragging Bella off before she can respond. Emmett only tells Rose to behave herself, and that he will see her in a few days. I know he is still pretty upset with her, he loves Bella, but his anger is fading – he can never stay angry for long, especially at Rose.

As we are heading to the airport in Syracuse I make the call to France to order the car for Bella. The factory owner is a little surprised when I tell him what customizations I want made to it, and that also I not only want the car shipped here to the USA, but I want it delivered right to my house. I, of course, have to offer to pay an extra amount to please him. Once I hang up the phone after giving the factory owner my credit card number and telling him to bill the entire amount to that one credit card, I notice that Emmett has pulled the car over onto the side of the highway and he is facing me with his mouth agape. "Are you _serious_ Edward? You are buying Bella a _Bugatti Veyron?_ You do realize that if she ever finds out exactly how much you paid she is going to flip her lid, right?" He has a point there. "What about keeping a low profile? You know that car is going to draw some serious attention?"

Oh yes, I do know that. "Emmett, you ought to know me by now. Of course I will also buy Bella a low-profile car, but the rest of us have high-end cars, _and_ a low-profile car. I will allow Bella to choose her own car when she is ready. Now please, get this car moving so we can be done with this errand and get back home. I need to convince Jasper to come hunting with me, while I make good on my promise to Bella."

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

After picking up the Denalis and getting them back to the house, I hurry up to Carlisle's office to let him know Jasper and I will be gone hunting the next two days while the girls are away. At my confession, he looks up at me and frowns, asking, "Don't you want to be here to explain about Bella?"

"No Carlisle, I don't. I made a promise to Bella to hunt while she was away, and I would like to get my strength back before she returns. I don't want to be thirsty when she decides to be changed. Her blood is easier to resist, but it still calls to me." And with that said, Carlisle sighs but nods. "Very well Edward, I think it will be set to explain about Victoria with Bella present anyways." I run up to my room to change my clothes and to call out to Jasper that we are leaving in a few minutes – in all honesty, I just do not want to spend time with Tanya.

Jasper and I go our own way once we are deep into the mountains. Jasper has his own hunting style and he generally does not want company. Of course, he will tolerate Alice at his side – which makes sense because she's his mate – but no one else.

While running I come across the scent of a large herd of deer, and after taking down four, I feel rather full. I realize there is no need to rush this; I do not have a reason to hurry home until tomorrow, so I send a quick text to Jasper telling him where I will be if he wants to meet up for a while.

The sun is rising when I hear a family of bears starting to stir. Jasper never joined me in the night, so I assume that he was enjoying his alone time. Just as much as I enjoy being alone and having silence in my head, I know he enjoys being alone and not feeling everyone else's emotions. Sighing I send a quick text to Jasper, telling him I will be heading back home in an hour. Then, I circle down around the bears so they will not see me coming.

I take down four bears within five minutes; I really hope this hunting trip was worth it, as long as the shadows are gone from under my eyes. Now, to get home and hide in my bedroom until the girls come home. Maybe I should ride to the airport with Emmett –no, I need to finish unpacking my stuff in my room. Maybe if I walk at a slow pace it will take up some of my time…

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

I am glad I left my bedroom window open; there is no need to go through the house to announce my arrival. I just hope Tanya stays downstairs. I begin with putting my CDs on the shelf, in the same order they are always in. I set up my stereo; put my clothes away into the closet. Esme must have washed all the bedding; it is neatly folded at the end of the mattress. So I begin to make my bed, wondering if Bella will be sleeping in it tonight. I then step into the bathroom to start arranging everything the way I like it, wondering if Bella will be bringing any of her stuff with her.

After getting everything put away I am still wondering what belongings Bella will bring, as I am going to need to make room for whatever she carries. I notice my phone is blinking on the nightstand, so I go to check it: just a few text messages. The first from Jasper: _Be home later, staying to hunt longer. _The second from Alice: _Boarding our flight now, everything went perfect; please confirm to Em that Rose apologized to Bella. See you in a few hours_. I notice she sent the text three hours ago, which means I still have two hours left.

I sit on my couch and read, trying to kill the time, and wind up reading two books, and then I almost think about going down and playing my piano. I also need to tell Emmett that Rose was successful on her mission; I know he is still stewing about it, if only slightly. I send him a text saying that Alice had sent me a text telling me that Rose was successful in apologizing to Bella – I really hope Rosalie was sincere when she did it. I am sure not _all_ is forgiven; they will not become fast friends, but I think once Bella is a vampire, things will be easier for Rose. But then again, she has been angry with me for a long time, and simply because I do not want her the way other men do. So I am sure she will hold a grudge towards Bella for becoming a vampire.

Just as I am getting ready to settle down and play some soft music, Carlisle's thoughts from Downstairs catch my attention. _"I should speak to Edward about this. Eleazar said she is going to be very powerful, plus their bond is going to be the most extreme bond we will ever see because of the way she described her feelings at Edward's absence…"_ Well, I guess I will go talk with Carlisle while I wait for the girls to come home. I better remind Emmett that he needs to leave soon to go pick them up at the airport.

As I approach Emmett and Rosalie's room I notice there are no thoughts in there. I knock and open the door, just in case, but the room is empty – maybe he left already. I decide I will check the garage just to be sure, but as I am coming down the stairs I notice Tanya standing there.

Oh lord, what does she want? My thoughts are callous, but hers are poison. I do _not_ want to deal with her trying to get me to sleep with her, _again_.

"Edward, I have been waiting for you to come downstairs," she purrs huskily in an attempt to seduce me, no doubt. In her thoughts she is picturing herself pressed up against me, locked in a deep, passionate kiss with her hands trailing down my chest. It's the same thing I always see when she is near me. The same thing I always suffer. I shudder, and all of a sudden her mind turns completely blank, a clean space. She stands there for a moment, and then she starts to approach me. And just as she goes to reach out to me, I hear the car coming up the drive way, fast; of course it is Emmett and the girls. The car stops and I hear Alice quickly telling Bella to wait outside before stepping into the house. And _just_ as the door is opening, Tanya throws herself at me and has her arms locked around my neck. I put my hand up to push her away, and then I hear a gasp.

Quickly I look over and see Bella standing there, a mask of raw fury displayed on her face.

This is not going to end well.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Thank you to my beta Shakaka! What a wonderful chapter!


	7. Chapter 6

_I can hear it calling again__  
__The primal need is filling me__  
__Changes are about to begin__  
__And now my blood is boiling__  
__I can see the fear in your eyes__  
__But you can't bring yourself to scream__  
__Time to shed the mortal disguise__  
__For the beast is coming to life__  
__Taking form in the glimmer of this tainted moonlight__  
__Death approaches on this night_

_The Animal By: Disturbed_

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Bella POV:

I am glad the drive from the airport to the Cullen house is only a matter of a few minutes because I am anxious to be back in Edward's arms again. Alice and I are in the back seat talking about possibly driving down to New York City to go shopping; well, she is trying to convince me that it would be a good experience. And the more I protest the matter the more desperate Alice gets. But I stand my ground, shopping is not something I enjoy.

"You know, you might change your mind once you have been changed." Alice sounds so petulant that it makes me smile to know I have won this battle, even though I am sure there is more to come. Besides, did she not just buy me a whole bunch of clothes online?

Just as Emmett parks the jeep in front of the house and I am getting out, Alice releases a sharp gasp and grabs my arm. "Bella, I think you should wait a few minutes before going into the house." Her tone and words tell me that whatever it is it is not good, but I am not too worried about my own wellbeing. I manage to pull Alice's hand off my arm – she isn't holding too tight to begin with – and make it up the stairs.

Just as I open the front door I see a woman who I immediately identify as Tanya freely wrap her arms around Edward's neck, and I let out a sharp gasp as Edward is reaching his hands up to push her away. The look of shock on Edward's face when he sees me is enough to set me off – I am seeing red, I am so mad.

"What the _hell_ is going on here," I demand in a low, angry tone. No use yelling, I know they will hear me. I am actually shocked with the strength of my anger. However, I know this is wrong and I did see the glare Tanya sent my way as I walked into the house.

I watch as Tanya tries to take Edward's hand, but I am not going to let her do this. Edward is _my_ mate! So I thrust my shield out to Tanya and she is slammed into the wall. I am momentarily stunned that I lashed out like that, and before I can really process anymore Tanya is struggling against the wall.

"What the fuck is going on?" Tanya screeches a hint of fear in her tone as she peels herself from the wall and lowers herself into a crouch, growling at me. I know she is pissed, and I know I need to protect myself so I reach my shield out and cage her in. As Tanya is struggling within the cage I notice a flash of movement to my right. Another blonde has her hand on my arm with a look of fury on her face. And as she is standing there pressing harder on my arm the pressure is starting to register as pain. I push my shield at this person and force her back.

Movement to my left, Tanya is coming at me now. Before I have time to react she has thrown me and I am now flying towards the stair well. Surprisingly, everything seems to be moving in slow motion. I can see everyone standing there, a look of horror on their faces. My shoulder is slammed into the newel post. There is a loud 'pop' and a burning sensation registers in the injured spot. I know it has been dislocated, but I don't have time to worry about the pain, as Tanya is coming at me again.

I quickly wrap my shield around her as she is almost on top of me. She struggles and hisses into my face "You are nothing but a human, death will come easy for you, or I could simply hurt you more than just your shoulder" I squeeze her tighter in my shield and as I watch her skin start to crack I hear several loud gasps. Esme is somewhere to my right, sobbing and pleading everyone to stop fighting. Just as I am about to finish her off Edward comes to me and places a hand on my shoulder, telling me to let her go, that it is not worth it. Emmett steps up and grabs Tanya; I let my shield drop and sink down into the floor when I feel Jasper's calming waves wash over me.

Edward picks me up gently and tells me that I am the only one he will ever love; there will never be anyone else for him. I notice Rosalie and Emmett take Tanya and Kate outside. I finally figure out it was Kate who was trying to stop me from harming Tanya, before Esme speaks to everyone.

Now that the fight has left me, I feel horrified that I attacked someone so close to the Cullen family. As the tears well in my eyes I fall into Edward's embrace and cry while telling everyone how sorry I am that this happened. Alice comes over to me and reassures me "Bella, you did the right thing, any one of us would of defended our mates in the same manner. Tanya will heal and we will move on."

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

After a while Rosalie, Emmett and Kate return to the house, but Tanya is nowhere to be seen. Edward and I stay on the couch where I am tightly surrounded by his arms. Every time I go to say something to someone about my actions, Alice shoots me a look and Edward puts his finger to my lips to silence me. And just as the pain in my shoulder is becoming unbearable, Carlisle and Eleazar approach us.

"Bella, while I am resetting your shoulder Eleazar would like to explain a few things to you." Carlisle's voice is gentle and I am hoping Eleazar will be able to distract me so this won't be so painful.

"Bella, it was very hard to determine what type of shield you are because you were blocking me, but I am assuming you are a mental shield. Along with the fact of what you did to Tanya and Kate, I will also assume that you are a physical shield as well. This is very rare, to see a shield develop this way, and it is even rarer to see a human have full function and be aware of a gift with this magnitude." Just as Eleazar finishes explaining my shield to me I feel three sets of hands. I turn to look and Emmett has one hand on my left shoulder and the other on my left leg, and Edward is holding my other leg with a painful look in his eyes. I feel everyone's hands tighten just as Carlisle says 'Ready'. The jerking in my shoulder is no match for the sickening sound of the joint popping back into place. However, I know screaming will not help, so I let out a loud grunt instead.

It really does hurt like a bitch, though.

Carlisle goes to hand me a sling for my arm, but I decline. "Carlisle I would like to talk to you about an idea I have regarding my change. I am ready to have it done immediately." Everyone's eyes snap up to me then. I know they are not expecting it to be so soon, but I know I am ready right now.

Once everyone is seated around the living room, I look to Carlisle. "I know you tried to use morphine with Emmett and it was unsuccessful, but I wonder if you were to administer it to me and wait for it to spread before Edward bites me?" After my research I am pretty certain that the morphine would help, in the beginning at least.

Carlisle's eyes light up with the prospect of a new experiment. "Bella, if you are willing to test this theory then I have no problems with helping you. Please take no offence, but once we knew you were coming back I brought a large medical kit home with me, just in case. It does contain morphine, so if you are ready we can get started."

I look over to Edward and ask if he is ready for this. He lets out a long sigh, seeming rather sad. "Yes Bella, I am ready. If this is what you truly want, then I want nothing more than to give it to you." Just then Esme is flying up the stairs. I look after her a bit confused, Edward chuckles and says, "She is going to prepare a bed for you – well actually, she is going up to strip my bed. Sheets won't be necessary while you change, as they will only get tangled up." And I am left hoping my theory is correct and the morphine will keep me still.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Sitting anxiously on Edward's naked bed, Alice comes in with a silk tank top and silk shorts. She tells me it will be the only thing that will not feel like it is chewing my skin off. Everyone else comes in and wishes me luck and that they will see me in a few days. No one stays long, until finally Carlisle and Edward enter.

"Bella I am going to give you enough of the drug to completely knock you out. It is in my hopes that this will work like 'going under' for surgery. If you are ready please lay back and make yourself comfortable." Edward lies down with me, stroking my hair and looking into my eyes. All I see in his is the love he holds for me. And as Edward leans in to kiss me, I feel the bite of the needle and the cold liquid pouring into my veins. It does not take long before I start to feel my eyes droop.

Just before everything turns black I hear Edward whisper how much he loves me. Then I sense him lean into my neck.

I do not even feel the bite…

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

A/N: First of all let me thank Shakaka for beta-ing this chapter. She has truly been wonderful; even behind the scenes when I was having a hard time deciding how best to handle Tanya!

I am truly sorry for making you all wait so long for such a short chapter. I don't have an excuse for taking so long; I was just having a hard time finding the words for this chapter. However, I am planning on the next chapter to be fairly long, or it will be split into two separate chapters. Please be patient and know I have no intentions on giving up on this story. With my children out of school for the summer they have been keeping me pretty busy, but I will try to get an update sooner!


	8. Chapter 7

_If I could walk on water_

_If I could tell you what's next_

_I'd make you believe_

_I'd make you forget_

_So come on, get higher, loosen my lips_

_Faith and desire and the swing of your hips_

_Just pull me down hard_

_And drown me in love_

_Come On Get Higher by: Matt Nathanson_

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Edward POV:

My body is shaking with the force of me keeping my muscles locked in place. I am nervous that once Bella's sweet blood hits my tongue I will lose control, and just as her eyes drift close and she is taken under by the morphine, I press a kiss to her temple and whisper to her that I love her. Then, as I feel her heartbeat steady, I sink my teeth into her flesh. As her blood hits my tongue, something dark tries to rise up inside of me.

The monster is raging as I bite the other side of her neck, both wrists, on the side of her knees and her ankles, sealing each wound closed with a swipe of my tongue. I try to push back the monster, close to letting him win. I know I have to get out of this room before I lose control, and as I standup Carlisle is at my side. He must have seen my struggle. "_Edward! Calm down, go hunt. I will stay right here with Bella. Stay in range of my thoughts, you will feel better about it."_

I clench my jaw and nod at Carlisle, opening the door to see Emmett and Jasper are waiting on the other side. Jasper sends a calming wave at me in the hopes of helping me, but I growl at him and quickly run out of the house. As soon as I hit the tree line I scream, needing to let the monster out without putting Bella in danger. I uproot trees, smash boulders and let the snarls rip through me, so angry with myself for almost losing control and draining Bella dry. The sobs come next and I fall to my knees, sensing Alice moments before she has me wrapped in a warm embrace.

"_Come on Edward. Jasper and Emmett are hunting down some bears for you; they will help quell the madness. We all felt it, so please don't berate yourself. Let's get this done so we can get back to the house." _As she speaks silently into my mind, I know she is right, so we quickly go and find Emmett and Jasper corralling two bears.

I drain the beasts quickly, and now that the monster is caged deeper inside than he has ever been before, I know I am ready to face the next few days. I am nervous approaching the house, worried that the morphine is not working the way Bella had hoped, and I have a feeling she did this to save me the agony of seeing her in so much pain. I slow down close to the house; I want to be prepared for the screaming. What I am not prepared for is the opposite: I am met with silence, and there is a faint humming inside my head.

The humming grows louder with every step I take towards my bedroom. I know it is not Carlisle, as he is actively thinking about a patient at the hospital. Once I get to the bedroom door I find Jasper standing there, a look of pure bliss on his face. "Jasper, what is going on? You look so content standing here."

"_Don't you feel it, Edward? I don't know what's going on with Bella in there, but she is utterly happy. Not a trace of pain in her. I think the morphine is working to keep the pain away." _I smile at Jasper; it is good to know that Bella is not feeling any pain. Clapping him on the shoulder, I step into the bedroom.

There she is, laying just the way I left her. Her heart is still beating slowly – an effect of the morphine – and the humming intensifies the closer I get to her. Carlisle, previously unnoticed when I first stepped inside, slips out of the room as I slip into the bed with Bella, hoping that if she feels my presence it will help sooth her. I gently place my hand on her cheek and the humming in my head increases. Once I place a kiss to her forehead, I feel a pull in my mind, and then, suddenly, I am standing in our meadow back in Forks. I am watching the scene of Bella and me sitting in the sun that first afternoon we spent there, when I revealed to her what I looked like in the sun…

I spend most of the evening watching these memories play out in Bella's head. Every moment we spent together, I see the way Bella felt about me and it makes my dead heart soar. I whisper to her how much I love her, and I am so tuned into her thoughts that when she arrives at the day I left her in the woods I must of let out a cry, because suddenly everyone is in the bedroom with us demanding what is wrong. I cling to Bella and cry tearless sobs as I watch what happened to her after I left. The months of agony and emptiness she felt matched my own, and she was so determined to get through every day the best she could. I watch her waste away from not eating. I watch as her friends drew away from her. And then I watch as everything changed the day Alice showed up for her at school. The memories play out until the last moment she is conscious.

After Bella's memories end I become aware of myself again and notice that everyone is still in the room frozen in stress. Alice is the first to come around, "Edward, what happened? You were frozen for over six hours! We were worried."

I chuckle with humor for the first time in months. "I just watched every moment in Bella's life since I entered it. I was inside her mind; it was intense to say the least. But now I know what it was like for her in the last few months, that was not easy for me."

I look over to Bella when I hear her heartbeat change. It is not much of a change, but it tells me that the venom is beginning its work. Her heart is beating just a bit faster, her breathing turning shallower. We all watch in wonder as the color drains from her face, and then Alice starts to shift into a vision of Bella waking in twenty six hours. I am surprised it is going to be completed so quickly. Alice leaves the room mumbling about a new outfit, and Rosalie follows her out. I am a little concerned and before Carlisle leaves the room, I have to know, "Carlisle, Alice just had a vision of Bella waking in twenty six hours. Why is the change happening so fast?" I am shocked, almost panicking that this is happening too fast, and Jasper must have felt my panic as he is right beside me, throwing an enormous wave of calm over my emotions.

"Edward, it is my theory that because the morphine entered her system before the venom, the venom is chasing the morphine through her system, and this is causing the venom to burn faster. But because we have never done this before I can only theorize." And with that knowledge I am able to relax, so I walk back over to the chair at the side of the bed and wait for the next twenty six hours to pass.

Alice walks into the room a few hours later with a garment bag, stilettos and a hair brush. _"Don't worry Edward, I am just going to change her clothes quickly and brush out her hair." _I let out an annoyed sigh, hopefully moving Bella will not cause her to scream out from the touch.

I am surprised Alice has dressed Bella in a midnight blue silk wrap dress and matching heels, as we are going to take Bella out hunting as soon as she wakes up and has adjusted to her surroundings. The silk is easily going to shred, but I am sure my sister is prepared for that.

I watch as the venom begins to make changes in Bella's appearance. First it is the toning of her muscles, starting at her toes and stopping at her head. Where all her bones are showing through, the venom fills it in. I watch as her fingernails lengthen, her breasts enlarge slightly, her cheeks fill out and her features evolve, becoming more defined. Her hair turns thicker, more lustrous, and then I pick up on her changing scent: her floral essence sharpened, but laced with a trace of honey. The burn in my throat begins to recede, and I watch as her body loses its human softness and becomes the unyielding stone that will cause her to never change.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Bella's heart is beginning to pick up speed, and I know it is almost time for her to wake up. I am very nervous; I begin to wonder if she is still going to love me when she wakes up, or if she is going to leave us. And just as my panic begins to reach a crescendo, Alice comes bounding into the room and flashing visions in my head of Bella and I together in places that are not this home. Jasper follows quickly, shooting waves of calm at me.

Once I am settled down, the rest of the family enters the bedroom. Esme gasps at the sight of Bella, and Carlisle is amazed that Bella has been so silent through the whole transformation. He listens as her heart begins to pick up speed and Emmett tenses, ready to subdue Bella at a moment's notice. Jasper tastes her mood, and I register the shock as he feels nothing but calm and contentment coming from her. I am also a little shocked, but most of all, Rosalie's thoughts catch me off-guard. She is admiring Bella's beauty, for the first time really seeing her and acknowledging what I see in Bella. But I keep my thoughts to myself as I do not want to tip Rose off – I think she is finally starting to accept Bella into our lives.

As Bella's heart reaches a deadly speed we all hold our breath, waiting. Finally, it begins to stutter, forcing three final beats before it falls silent. I cannot hold it in any longer and let out a choking sob as I mourn the ending of her human life. But then I quickly recover as I realize that she will be mine for the rest of eternity.

When Bella finally takes her first breath, everyone in the room tenses and her eyes begin to open. She turns her head in my direction, and I am met with startled crimson eyes.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

_There's a drumming noise inside my head_

_That starts when you're around_

_I swear that you could hear it_

_It makes such an all mighty sound_

_There's a drumming noise inside my head_

_That throws me to the ground_

_I swear that you should hear it_

_It makes such an all mighty sound_

_Drumming Song by: Florence and the Machine_

_~~~~O~~~~_

Bella POV:

At whatever point in time that the morphine weakens, allowing myself to be aware of my surroundings, I am able to feel and sense everything around me. I am in no pain, even though I can feel the venom burning in my body and I can feel myself changing. I look into my mind and sense my shield, protecting my body from the inside. I also find it easier to lower my shield in a way to allow Edward into my thoughts, and when I feel him approach I begin to go over my memories in great detail from the moment I met him.

After a while, I hear Edward telling Carlisle that I will wake sooner than expected. Carlisle's explanation soothes me in knowing that the venom is chasing the morphine, causing the transformation to take place faster than anticipated. I am happy that my experiment has worked the way I intended, that even though I am aware, I am in no pain.

Alice comes in a while later to change my clothes, and I feel the silk glide across my skin, the brush in my hair and the feeling of shoes being slipped onto my feet. Knowing Alice, these are surely stilettos, but I am not sure if I mind or not. Then I am wondering if my balance will improve; I would hate to be the only clumsy vampire in the world.

I can feel the changes happening to me. I can hear my heart start to race towards it end, and it is a strange sensation as everything modifies. My muscles tone, my skin hardens; my fingernails grow and even my hair. I feel the coldness begin to creep over me, my throat becomes scratchy and dry– it is a little uncomfortable, but I am able to push the thought into the back of my mind as I hear the rest of the family enter the room. They silently stand there and wait with baited breath for everything to be over.

As my heart takes three final beats my mind freezes. I am unsure what to do now, although I know it is time to open my eyes and see my family. Edward releases a choking sob, and it is enough to decide it is time; I do not want him to be in pain. I take my first breath, but am distracted by all the flavors on my tongue. Pushing through them, I open my eyes to a view of everything being so clear with colors so bright and defined. Every tiny detail is clearly seen, and when I turn my head in Edward's direction, I am startled by his beauty.

I quickly sit up, and then freeze. The movement is so fast it is a little unnerving. I ignore it, though, and take a step towards Edward. He opens his arms for me and I throw myself at him, feeling the strength coursing through my body. I only realize I am crushing Edward when he lets out a low grunt and a hiss, and before he says anything I let him go and take a step back.

I decide now is a good time to test my shield. Lowering it, think to Edward:_"I love you, Edward. I am so sorry for hurting you. It is all so new!"_I watch as his eyes light up when he hears me, and then he rushes over and plants his lips on mine. I gasp as his searing kiss shoots straight through me, sparking a shiver of anticipation throughout my body. But as I lean into the kiss someone clears their throat. Glancing in their direction, I notice Jasper slowly approaching us, hands raised in a non-threatening gesture.

"Bella, I don't think we should hold off any longer. You seem to be in control now, but I don't understand how you are overruling your thirst. We should take you hunting immediately." Jasper's weary tone makes me snap my head in his direction, and then I freeze at the sight. I am able to see every scar on his body, and in some places the scars overlap so many times it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

"Jasper, she can't go hunting just yet. She needs to see herself!" Alice comes forward, distracting me with a large smile on her face. As she approaches, Jasper and Emmett close in on her. I cock my eyebrow at them, but they just continue to shadow her, and it takes me half a second to realize they are scared I am going to snap and hurt her. I let out a sharp laugh as I realize this.

"Surely that can wait, Alice? This burn in my throat _is_ rather uncomfortable," now that it's made itself known…But Alice just shakes her head, grabs my hand and pulls me into Edward's bathroom to the large mirrors behind the sink. I gasp when I see my reflection. I am no longer weak-looking – I know I have filled out as I feel the changes, but seeing them is a completely different story. My face is perfected: no longer do I have hallowed cheeks, and my jaw is defined. Every scar and imperfection on my body is gone, my eyes a startling bright crimson, my fingernails look like I just walked away from a manicure and my breasts are larger, more womanly. This reflection I am looking at is shocking, but even _I_ have to admit I am beautiful.

Alice laughs as I twirl in front of the mirror. "Bella, have you noticed your shoes?" No, in fact I was not even paying attention to my feet. I look down and let a small growl rip from my chest when I see the four inch high heels on my feet. And just as I realize that my growl is a mistake, Jasper, Emmett and Edward rush into the bathroom. Alice and I let out a fit of laughter when we realize they thought I was going to attack her.

"Come on Bella, let's go hunt. There is plenty of wildlife out today; we will have a great time." For a fleeting moment, I am nervous; worried that something bad is going to happen. But the feeling passes quickly as I realize the entire family will be coming out to make sure that nothing goes wrong.

Edward takes my hand as we walk out of the bathroom, and I am wrapped in a hug from Esme. Carlisle places a hand on my shoulder and whispers in my ear, "Welcome to the family, daughter." Rosalie stands there, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. I cock my eyebrow at her, and Edward just walks past her. Hmm, I see things are still not completely mended with Rose.

When we reach the front porch, Edward stops and turns to me. He raises his hand to my cheek and trails his fingers down my face to my neck, to my collar bone, and then whispers, "Are you ready, love?"

"Yes," I respond in barely a whisper. He grabs my hand again and we sprint off into the forest.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

_Oh, you make it, make it right_

_My temperature is super high_

_If I scream, if I cry_

_It's only 'cause I feel alive_

_My body needs a hero_

_Come and save me_

_Something tells me you know how to save me_

_I've been feeling weird, oh!_

_Oh, I need you to come and rescue me_

_Turn Me On (feat. Nicki Minaj) by: David Guetta_

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~

Edward POV:

There she is, my goddess running right beside me. From the moment I laid my eyes on her, I felt the electrifying shocks run through me, the sign of one's mate. I now understand the feeling of bliss every time one of my siblings is close to their mate. The feeling really is indescribable, but I can feel strange emotions stirring deep inside of me. Primal, bone deep urges…Jasper is beside me then, an eyebrow raised, and I shake my head as I look over at Bella.

She is matching me in speed; I am sure with the newborn strength she could overtake me, but she doesn't. After a few more minutes Jasper lets out a warning growl, _"Watch out Edward, her mood is shifting."_ But it is too late; Bella rips her hand from mine and takes off like a rocket.

After chasing her for a few minutes, she leaps up into the trees. I am met with Alice's trilling laughter as she launches herself into the trees after Bella, her only thought –_"Chase!"_ I laugh as a vision of Alice and Bella, flying through the trees to the next clearing, rises in my mind. This is where we will find a large herd of deer resting.

The rest of the family finally catches up to Jasper and I, all with worried thoughts of Bella.

"It's alright, Alice is with her and they are going straight to the clearing where there are deer. Let's hurry and follow them." Everyone relaxes and begins following my lead to the clearing.

When the clearing is in sight, Bella's scent is thick in the air. I watch through Alice's eyes as Bella stalks towards the herd. It is a sight to see, and she is so natural at it, and as soon as I am in the clearing Bella leaps at the largest buck and quickly sinks her teeth into its neck. Out of the corner of my eye I catch everyone leaping onto their own prey while I am frozen, transfixed on the sight of Bella drinking from the deer.

After she drains the first deer, she quickly looks for another. When her eyes find her prey she leaps at it, flawlessly grabbing again. I can't stop myself as the deer falls limply from her hands completely drained, and I let loose a growl. A new monster has emerged inside of me, screaming at me to take action.

"_That's your mate. Take her, and make her yours!"_ I am hard and wanting her, letting out another loud growl as Bella leans into a crouch and releases an answering growl of her own. When I leap, her eyes glaze over as I crash into her body, searing my lips to hers and ripping her clothes in the same moment. We roll a couple hundred feet, growling and snapping passionately at each other. She tears my clothes and as I enter her, a feral growl is ripped from her chest, echoing through the trees.

~~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~

Thank you to my beta Shakaka for a wonderful job! It really means a lot to me to have someone catch all my little mistakes!

Bella will turn OOC after this chapter; she is not the same Bella from S.M. I promised to make her less flat and I intend to do just that. Now that I have gotten this story to where I needed it to be you will notice changes… I hope you all stick with me. Please give me your thoughts, do you have any suggestions?


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